Snagging

Looks like the fancy bricks taken away this winter are finally making a comeback to parking bays outside the Co-op.

Could streetscape snagging cause more traffic snags?

The ANB state on their website today: "As mentioned in a prevous article, the snagging starts on the Streetscape on Monday 11th April - hopefully it will be done quickly and without any great disruption."

Let's hope so, more on the ANB pages about a meeting between Highland Council, BEAR and Transport Scotland over the traffic lights carry on.

Streetscape gets dug up by a utility company

More on Nairn Matters.

Splashing out

A regular Gurnite sends us these wet weather pictures of a part of the streetscape. He’s generally pleased with things but is a bit concerned that water seems to be lying in places. Perhaps there’s still one or two final touches to be completed?

Streetscape - the beginning of the end

Work started today on the road phase of Streetscape, it is expected that the work will be completed within two weeks although permission to close the High Street has been given for four weeks if necessary.

That new bendy bit at the top of the High Street

Perhaps the other side of the road will be made bigger to allow traffic to pass simultaneously straight on and also along Leopold Street but one or two Gurnites have mentioned how the new layout might possible create a bottleneck. One of our regular readers has also sent in a picture. A vehicle trying to unload on the pavement outside Boots is obviously causing a problem.

Mind the gap!

This evening and a large section of the barriers up the High Street seemed to have cowped over.

Hello Yellow Brick Road?

The nickname 'Yellow brick road' seems to be gaining currency as we start to see more of how things will look as the project progresses. The first picture shows the new design while across the road the old look remains.

Watch your step!

The Scene at the Gordon Street end of the High Street. We don't want to get into a debate about the rights and wrongs of Streetscape here, this is just a quick heads up to warn that once you cross to the other side of the footpath watch your step. A lot of larger vehicles are having to mount the pavement to get round the bend from Gordon Street onto the High Street.

Streetscape arrangements - Highland Council Version

Thanks to one of our avid readers who pointed us in the direction of a Highland Council press release:

'At the second meeting of the Nairn Streetscape Stakeholders’ Group held last week, it was confirmed that The Highland Council would be making £15,000 available to the business community in support of promotional activities during and on completion of the streetscape works. The onus is on the business community to come up with proposals to stimulate trade and the funding will be administered through the Association of Nairn Businesses. Funding provided by the Council will enable additional funding to be sought through the Leader Programme.
Stakeholders at the meeting also received clarification about the practicalities of traffic management during the High Street upgrade. It was emphasised that full road closure is anticipated only during surfacing of the central carriageway and that this element of the work is programmed to take place towards the end of September / early October and not during the summer months. Work on the footways will commence at the top of the Brae on the Castle Square side of the street, will progress towards Cawdor Street as far as Ladbrokes. They will then move across to the RBS side and continue back towards Gordon Street. During these works the High Street should remain open for traffic, albeit with a 10mph speed restriction for site safety. Signage on the A96 will emphasise the availability of free public parking in Nairn.
Both Councillors and Council officers present at the meeting stressed the fact that the timing of the High Street upgrade had been wholly dictated by conditions attaching to funding through the Scottish Government’s Town Centre Regeneration Fund, which is contributing £800,000 to the project. The remainder of funds are provided by the Highland Council Planning and Development Service, which is managing the project.
David Brownless, Chair of the Association of Nairn Businesses, said: “I’m sure everyone will be relieved to hear that the High Street is not going to be closed to traffic for the vast majority of the time that the works are taking place. Obviously we realise that the road will have to be closed when the new road surface itself is being laid. With regard to the timing of the resurfacing though, it seems that the favoured option is to carry it out during a relatively short period at the end of the contract, in late September or early October. While still causing disruption, this would at least prevent the need for a series of regular road closures throughout the busy months of the summer.
“The stakeholder group have also received assurances that as much car parking as possible will be retained on the High Street during the works and we are encouraged by the allocation of funding which will see a campaign of marketing and promotional activities roll out as the streetscape works near completion.”
Work in Nairn High Street will commence on April 26th and will run for approximately 24 weeks.'

Our correspondent offers the following tongue in cheek suggestions for promotional activity:

1) Have a go on a steam hammer

2) Test how strong your cycle helmet is under falling masonry

3) Just how deaf are you, take part in our Nairn High Street talk sessions

4) Did you like the dust from volcanic Iceland, come and sample Nairn High Street dust

5) Rein act scenes from a spaghetti western in Nairn High Street this summer

6) Bob the Builder your child's favourite? Forget Sunflower Valley come to Nairn High Street

Well it is good to know that traffic will be allowed onto the High Street. It's going to happen folks and we'll live through it. Nairn will survive!

'Nairn faces summer of disruption'

Sunday evening and back to the top for this article. Mainly for the thoughtful (as usual) comment from Spurtle.

Another Courier headline and quite frankly not one that is likely to encourage visitors to come to the town this summer. 'Temporary traffic lights will be in place', reports the Courier. There seems to be some mystery now as to how much traffic will be allowed up the High Street. The Gurn gathers that there was some irritation expressed with the Nairnshire telegraph (the paper reported that the High Street would be closed) at yesterdays 'suits and stakeholder' meeting to discuss the forthcoming 24 week operation to give the High Street a makeover. Perhaps everthing will become clearer once the work starts but whatever happens how many holiday makers will want to listen to pneumatic drills as part of their vacation?

The Gurn hears more people asking how, given the cuts and hard times, that there is a million pounds of funding to do up a high street that only received similar treatment 23 years ago. Councillors can explain different funding pots etc but any explanations will be lost on most folk that don't speak the language of local government. Many people would prefer to see the money spent elsewhere and just don't understand why that can't happen.

Any truth too in the rumours of a street party at the end of the Streetscape and 60K for shopkeepers to do up their frontages?

Streetscape? Who needs it? Time for a 'back to the future' approach?

Thanks to 'MR Archive' a gurnite who sent in this picture from the early 70's showing how traffic managed to go up and down the High Street and still allow parking on both sides. Is it just all the wobbly bits and fancy street furniture that cause all the problems for lorry drivers and the rest of us? Is a fresh look at the plans needed before anything else goes ahead?

As Grow to sow would say, 'e-mailed in from a Granny Smith's'

Streetscape for Nairn High Street will start end of May- early June

Sandy Park at tonight's Nairnshire Partnership and Ward Forum

The Partnership heard tonight how the £800,000 streetscape plan will proceed next year. It is anticipated that, after contract tendering etc, that work will commence towards the end of May or the start of June. Work will be completed in three phases and will take 20 weeks. The High Street will be kept open during this time but obviously there will be considerable disruption. It is a no gain without pain scenario. Convenor Sandy was very positive about the outcome however and told the meeting how he remembered events of the last upgrade nearly 30 years ago and the eventual boost that gave to the street. He said, ' This will send out good vibes to retail business.'

The plans on display tonight were literally off the press having been printed in the afternoon and will be familiar to all concerned as they are the fruit of the previous consultations. There is a chance even more improvements could be on the agenda if the Co-op could be presuaded to contribute - if they decide to go ahead with their development in Nairn.

More from the ward forum later.