A one-way system during this years Christmas market will go ahead leaving traders fuming.
Although since the announcement the council have promised that the system will be lifted if crowds are light.
The decision was made on Monday at Lincoln City Council and presented to the traders and public Tuesday evening at Jews Court. The meeting was led by Holly Parker, events officer at the city council, who announced that the Strait which joins the High Street to Steep Hill would run a one-way system going up the Strait for the four day period.
Holly Parker said: “One of our main issues last years was with Steep Hill and the Strait due to it getting narrow around Kind Bar.
“It becomes a pinch point, a bottle neck, so we are introducing a one-way system so people aren’t colliding into each other and there are less trips, slips and falls.”
Traders still fear that the approved plans could be detrimental to the small independent businesses. John Shipton, owner of Mono Boutique, said: It could be the death nail of business on Steep Hill, the Strait and surrounding area.”
Leader of the Strait Independent Business Group and owner of Goodies sweet shop, Richard Baxter said: “Traders round here rely on the Christmas market profit to tide us over in the slow months. Our worry is that visitors will walk past the shops on the way up then not return to buy because of not wanting to go round in a loop again.”
Since the meeting the council have spoken to Mr Baxter and promised that if possible they will lift the one-way system during quite times but this promise has given little hope to traders.
The annual Christmas market which attracts around 200,000 people will run between Thursday, December 6 till Sunday, December 9 starting on Thursday at the new earlier time of midday.
