Business Isle of Man, an Executive Agency of the Department for Enterprise has announced a trial period to test pedestrianising a small section of North Quay in order to boost footfall and capacity for hospitality businesses during the summer period.
The project has the support of the Department of Infrastructure who have approved temporary traffic management arrangements during the closures.
The trial will see a portion of the North Quay area closed between 5:30pm and 11pm every day for a period of six weeks, starting Friday 21 August until Wednesday 30 September. The closure will prohibit motor vehicles on North Quay from its junction with, but not including, Queen Street to the bottom of Market Hill. It will also include Ridgeway Street from James Street to North Quay, Chapel Row and New Bond Street for their entire length.
Political member with responsibility for Business Isle of Man, Lawrie Hooper MHK, welcomed the plans:
‘Without doubt, our Tourism and Hospitality sectors have been most heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The Department for Enterprise has provided extensive funding and support to the sector, however, we want to ensure that we continue to provide meaningful and innovative support that makes a tangible difference to businesses.
‘Many restaurants and cafes use additional outdoor seating to boost their bottom-line during the summer months, and this trial will allow us to measure the positive impact that creating more outdoor space could have on the Island’s outdoor dining culture.’
Protecting disabled parking provision is key and so the three disabled parking spaces made inaccessible by the trial have been relocated on North Quay, just west of the junction from Queen Street. These spaces will stay allocated as disabled parking spaces following the end of the trial.
Business Isle of Man hosted a public meeting on 23 July 2020 to seek feedback on a proposal to pedestrianise the wider section from Quine’s corner to Barbary Coast. 45.9% of respondents voted for amends to the proposal, and 5.4% were in support of the proposal in its entirety. As a result, the proposed scheme was amended with the key changes including evening-only closure, reduction of the closure area in question, Market Hill to remain open and Chapel Row to be closed.
The plans for road closures can be viewed at www.businessisleofman.com and further details provided, including a map to demonstrate the scheme.
