The following letters to the editor, solely from subscribers to thecourier.com.au, were sent in as a response to this story about council's plans to open Bridge Mall to one-way traffic from Sturt Street.
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The letters start below.
Whilst I agree in concept of upgrading the area,there are major problems for retailers as per the concept video
As a business owner I would loose all close parking particularly as I lend samples out.
I need access for delivery trucks (semi-rigid) and tradies with trailers up to 10 times a day.
We certainly need consultation before this goes ahead.
We need practicality ahead of aesthetics.
Many questions to be asked and solved before this goes ahead
Rod McDonald, Ballarat Carpet Court
The plan to reopen the Bridge Mall to traffic shows that the council are not listening to the public and businesses that actually use the mall.
It is a huge waste of money that could better be spent investing in the area and reactivating it.
The fact that there are discussions to close Armstrong Street and reopen Bridge Mall just show how messed up the council planning is.
The Bridge Mall needs an investment into outdoor dining areas and green spaces, not a road!
There is already plenty of parking and the only people that use the mall currently are the elderly, disabled, and parents with kids. They use the space because it is safe, sheltered, and easy accessible. A road would take away all of those positives.
Bridge Mall is a wind tunnel and opening it up will increase the cold weather that rushes down from Sturt Street.
Norwich Plaza should be demolished and a green space put in with proper wind breaks.
Businesses and restaurants should be given incentives to move into the area.
If you make it a nice space to be in with great shops and dining areas, people will come!
Ellen Burns, Ballarat
This entire project baffles me. People make an area safer, not cars.
The more foot traffic an area brings, the better the atmosphere, and the more trade for businesses.
There is already countless free and available parking either side of the mall, with easy access for pedestrians.
The bottom of Sturt St doesn't have car access issues, and look how many empty shops there are.
Council is ignoring the obvious option here.
All you need to do is read the countless comments about what residents want.
The community wants an entertainment and food precinct, something that is sorely missing to the east of the city.
It's bizarre that council are talking of closing Armstrong St to cars, but they want to open Bridge Mall to cars?
Not only are you loosing a valuable open space in the city, you will also be creating confusion for tourists as they exit the CBD.
The video also doesn't even show any parking spots within the mall - so this road serves zero gain for shop owners.
The mall needs to be cleaned up, eateries/bars encouraged to take up shop, much like Armstrong St, more trees - not less! Remove Norwich Plaza and create a pocket park, create wind blocks - whether thats's partially roofing, and incentivise more diverse businesses to move into the area.
None of the issues the Mall currently faces will be solved by cars. Cars don't create an atmosphere, they detract from it.
This is not what the community wants!
Katherine White, Ballarat East
I'm strongly opposed to the mall opening up to traffic.
The space needs a roof and the Peel St end enclosed.
It's a wonderful space and the council should be bold and turn it into something special.
Traffic travelling through there at even 40kms per hour creates a big risk for the current democratic that uses the mall.
Yes, the space needs attention.
The traders certainly have left the area and encouraging food venues and shops that stay open late would create a wonderful atmosphere.
There is plenty of parking either side of the mall.
If you lived in a larger city you wouldn't even be considering being able to park outside the shop you wanted to use.
Be brave councillors and make Ballarat great again.
Betty Bibby, Invermay
Very pleased that something is being done.
I would prefer west-bound traffic through the Mall because it has the potential to be a much more gracious entry to the city.
As part of this project could the council acquire Norwich Plaza, which is not functional, demolish it and turn it into a small park.
Peter Hiscock, Buninyong
Don't open it to traffic.
Be bold and enclose the whole thing under a roof.
Not an easy or cheap solution but done with vision it could be really something special.
And why not be really bold?
Be the first council to take out the parking meters.
The city for shopping is dying so a radical decision to remove the meters might just be the catalyst it needs to revive the CBD.
Glenn Grant, Golden Point
As a former manager of Wearwell Furniture in the Bridge Street, now called Bridge Mall, I can't see how opening up the mall will make any difference.
Perhaps it will make it worse.
Look at the empty shops in Sturt Street, where they have great traffic flow.
A waste of ratepayers money.
Keith Pitman, Alfredton
I wonder how much money has been wasted on the many schemes over the years, it needs much better thinking than letting traffic back in.
Parking seems small in the actual mall, if any.
Be far better to buy half the shops and make it enjoyable for the people.
Neglected architecture will need a clean up.
Kenn Hubbard, Redan
I don't see how this plan is putting pedestrians first.
This will not be safe for pedestrians through the mall area.
We need less cars, not more.
There has to be a better option.
Dianne Grant, Lake Wendouree
There are so many reasons why the proposed changes to Bridge Mall should not go ahead, but I'd just like to mention one: footpaths, kerb and guttering.
There are so many places in this city where these structures are in a poor state or non-existent and yet the Bridge Mall which has had significant work done to it in the immediate surrounding areas in the 20 years while I have lived here.
Council needs to get back to the basics for the ratepayers
Alan Pegg, Ballarat North
The original plan of Ballarat provided for a large boulevard 60 chains wide as a centre-piece feature.
I think that this is a sound concept and maintains the flow of traffic both on foot and by vehicle with greater simplicity and cohesion.
At the moment it is extremely confusing and dangerous for travelers coming from either direction.
Therefore a few things need to be seriously considered.
- The buildings in the mall are over 150 years old and will soon need major modification work if they are to be preserved.
- The mall is no longer a major shopping area - this has moved west and south.
- I suggest that these old buildings be demolished or removed so as to allow for a continuation of the two lanes connecting Victoria Street and Sturt Street.
Graeme Cartledge, Winter Valley
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