Cars will be banned from Deal High Street from Saturday as part of urgent measures to keep the area covid-safe but there are concerns it does not deal with crowds in the right place.

The Traffic Regulation Order applies from Stanhope Road to Union Road from 8am until 4pm Monday to Saturday.

But a lack of manpower means volunteers are needed to put out bollards and signs each day or Kent County Council's permission could be rescinded.

The main pinch point is expected from the junctions of Park Street, King Street and Stanhope Road, which motorists can still use despite the popularity of shops like Rooks and The Factory Shop, where queues have been gathering because of mandatory two-metre distancing.

The scheme was passed through in time for shops to reopen on Monday but it won't be put into place until Saturday to give Deal Town Council time to co-ordinate it and appeal for the help of volunteers.

It follows on from DTC's survey in January looking at pedestrianising the wider area on Saturdays only.

That study was supported by 80% of shoppers and 75% of shop owners.

But members of Deal and Walmer Chamber of Trade, who met with the council on Monday did not come forward to offer help in implementing the closures.

DTC's project officer Adrian Oliver said Dover District Council had access to £105,542 to implement social distancing measures in public shopping areas across the district.

A report, devised by DTC's Transport and Infrastructure Committee, was put forward which cited successfully pedestrianised places like Brixton, but Mr Oliver was told DDC couldn't fund any of the suggestions and that DDC did not have time to implement all the suggestions in the paper.

He said they were told DDC was already working on a plan to shut the road from Stanhope Road to Union Road to enable social distancing in the north end of the High Street.

But in a letter to councillors he said this does not address social distancing in the rest of the High Street nor Queen Street.

He said: "The real problem is that in a matter of hours, DDC required the Town Council to commit to operating the closure. This would entail:

• Closing the road at 10am

• Opening the road at 4pm

• Enabling the 84 bus to enter and leave at 12.20 every day

• Enabling essential deliveries and pick ups to enter and leave

• Enabling residents with parking in the closed area to drive in and out

Mr Oliver said: "DDC aren't willing to put the resources in to man it. They are expecting to give us the cones and expecting us to put them out at 10am and collect at 4pm each day.

"We want to keep people safe and our businesses need all the help they can get while doing that.

"We've got a fantastic high street with a great range of independent shops but there are some businesses who are specifically against any form of pedestrianisation.

"I'm anxious that their voices don't drown out those 75% of voices from the survey.

"It's a sizeable chunk of people who think it's a good idea."

Chamber chairman Peter Jull, whose business Zoom Photos is within the planned congestion point at the foot of King Street, said: "Knowing that members are split on the benefits and problems caused by pedestrianisation, the chamber has not adopted a corporate view on the subject in the past.

"A straw poll of shopkeepers in the area to be affected revealed widespread concern about the difficulties it would cause for deliveries.

"There was no consensus that there was a problem in the part of the High Street that needed fixing.

"It was agreed that there were other parts of the town centre where maintaining social distancing was evidently more difficult, queuing outside businesses being a prominent factor.

"The challenges of implementing a one-way system that would be complied with in the precinct were not resolved.

"It was agreed that the queuing 'dots' on the pavement outside Halifax were working and DDC should be asked to spend some of the budget they have available to replicate them outside NatWest in particular and where other queues are forming in unhelpful directions."

Dover District Council has been asked to comment.

Meanwhile, in Sandwich extra precautions were planned in advance and marshals have already been enlisted to help with the town's road closures.

Market Street, Delf Street, No Name Street and King Street will be pedestrianised Monday to Saturday 10am to 4pm from Monday with signs and traffic cones in the relevant areas each day.

Marshals are present at No Name Street this week to manage essential deliveries to premises within the closed sections of road.

Mr Oliver was employed by the council in November 2018 to implement the Cycle Friendly Deal scheme.

He said that long-term pedestrianisation of the town centre fits in with encouraging more cycles.

Talks over a park and ride at the Burrow Pit car park in Walmer continue with the addition of a park and pedal scheme too.

He said: "It's gone down really well in Canterbury.

"Deal is perfect for it. The Burrow Pitt is on Route 1 of the cycle network and it's a mile and a half from town. Deal is ideal for it."

The government has promised £2billion to get people using different forms of transport but there is competition surrounding where the money should be spent and Deal will need Kent Highways' backing.

Of the pedestranisation, a Kent Highways spokesman said: "During early discussions, Deal Town Council expressed an interest in pedestrianising the High Street between Stanhope Road and Union Road in order to help shoppers maintain social distancing, but wanted to engage with traders before they took this particular scheme forward.

"In order to ensure that Deal Town Council could introduce these measures as soon as possible, if agreed with local businesses, KCC took the proactive step of preparing the necessary Temporary Traffic Regulation Order.

"The order has been made but, should Deal Town Council choose not to pursue the scheme, then it will be rescinded."

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