SHOPKEEPERS, councillors and MP Eric Pickles are celebrating the end of a "valley of speed and death" this summer after a long-running saga to pedestrianise a town-centre street ended successfully.
Shop owners on Brentwood's Crown Street say they began to doubt whether the change would ever happen during a two-and-a-half year struggle to improve safety for shoppers.
Mr Pickles told the Gazette he would "dance a jig" were the street – which is the home to his constituency office – ever to be pedestrianised.
The changes made to the road four years ago were designed to allow drivers to use it as a cut-through, while giving priority to pedestrians.
But with motorists and pedestrians confused by the system, bollards were installed along the stretch to improve safety.
Mr Pickles said he often carried a photograph of the street with him to show senior civil servants what can happen when town planning goes wrong.
"If it means they are getting rid of the bollards I'll dance a jig," he said.
"I hate those bollards. I think they took a beautiful street and turned it into an eyesore and it was probably the greatest example of town planning gone wrong.
"In their wisdom they created a valley of speed and death and now I hope the bollards can be melted down and turned into something useful."
After two previous false alarms it had been expected the work would finally begin on the road at the start of April.
However, unexpected electrical works costing up to £11,000 put the project over budget, prompting Essex County Council to refer the issue back to Brentwood Borough Council's Local Highway Panel.
In a meeting on April 22, the panel agreed to stump up the cash from next year's budget with work expected to begin by the beginning of June.
Lin Heath, who owns French Quarter, hailed the new car-free zone but questioned why the move took so long. "Some drivers use the street as a cut-through and dash the wrong way up the street," she said.
"The bollards that are in place have chunks missing from them and I've been worried someone will get hurt or worse. The road is even more dangerous since the arrival of so many TOWIE tourists from outside the area."
Now Crown Street's boutique stores and eateries are planning events to attract shoppers to the town.
"We haven't got anything like this in Brentwood, added Mrs Heath.
"But now we can all get our heads together and plan some exciting events. Anything that entices people into town is a positive.
"These shops are for the community and I think we can give them a cafe culture down here.
"Hopefully, work will start in good time."
She added: "It's hard out there and we need to attract people because at the end of the day it is your local shops that bring people together."
Traders had hoped the changes would be completed following a successful consultation period.
The process was delayed when Essex County Council replaced Brentwood Borough Council as highways authority for the area last year.
Following the unexpected costs of the electrical works, the county council referred the issue back to Brentwood's own highways panel, which has an annual budget of around £500,000 to tackle local road issues.
Speaking shortly after the conclusive meeting, the panel's chairman, Councillor Keith Parker, declared: "The members have agreed to provide the extra funding in order to pedestrianise a section of Crown Street.
"From my conversations with shopkeepers the changes are needed.
"There is a cafe culture in the area and with this change this Little Bohemia can develop and they will able to do some of the special events they've been doing so well but without traffic going through the street."
Liberal Democrat leader David Kendall welcomed the news. He said: "I am pleased that at long last the partial pedestrianisation of Crown Street is going to go ahead as it will make the road safer for the many shoppers that use it.
"The changes to the traffic flows will not be to everyone's liking but hopefully, given time, they will be accepted and will not cause motorists to much inconvenience.
"I am sure that most people who use this area in their cars or on foot will appreciate that something had to be done to make it safer and that this scheme was the best option available."
Leader of the council's minority Labour group Mike Le-Surf said: "A lack of commitment from Essex County Council means this scheme is long overdue.
"I hope that there will be no further delays but won't hold my breath as the Tories have let residents and traders down time and time again.
"My main concern at this time is the planning approval for three major developments at the High Street end of Crown Street, with a further application soon to be submitted.
"This overdevelopment could ruin all we are trying to achieve in this well-respected part of our town."
