Bollards reminder as city set to spring back to life

With the reopening of non-essential shops just around the corner, Canterbury City Council is reminding residents, businesses and their customers that the city centre security bollards are now back in operation.

That means the overwhelming majority of drivers will be permanently refused access to city centre streets.

Deliveries to residents living in and businesses trading within the pedestrianised zone are only allowed between 4pm and 10.30am each day.

Canterbury City Council Chief Executive Colin Carmichael said: “As restrictions are eased and the city centre slowly but surely springs back to life, it is more important than ever that we keep everyone safe and the streets in the pedestrianised zone as traffic free as we can.

“This is especially important as businesses invest in outside dining and customers look forward to visiting their old food and drink favourites and discovering new ones along the way.

“The pedestrian zone rules have been in force in some form or another for more than 40 years. The bollards mean we can enforce them more effectively than ever before.

“While the bollards are a counter terrorism measure, it is worth pointing out there is no specific intelligence to say Canterbury is at risk of an attack and the government reduced the national threat level a little while ago.”

How the system works

Access to the city is only allowed via the intercom at one of the automated bollards sites. This applies 24 hours a day.

Our control room staff respond to the intercom and have the final say on who can gain access. At the exit points, the bollards will lower automatically to allow vehicles to leave.

Unless you fall into one of the categories in the lists below, you are not able to enter the city in a vehicle at any time. 

The pedestrian zone operates 24 hours a day but some restrictions are lifted between 4pm and 10.30am every day.

It is worth noting these rules have always been in place but have not been vigorously enforced.

Between 4pm and 10.30am, those with access include:

• Deliveries to businesses and residents and collection of trade waste. Outside of these hours delivery drivers will be able to unload in Iron Bar Lane and trolley goods to their destination.
• Blue Badge holders
• Royal Mail vehicles collecting from the post office and letterboxes
• Roadworks and utilities contractors
• Tradespeople

Those with 24-hour access include:

• Registered residents and businesses with private off-street parking
• Emergency services
• Medical practitioners such as GPs, nurses and midwives attending a patient
• Main vehicles associated with weddings and funerals
• Armoured security vehicles
• People living in the pedestrian zone who have registered as Blue Badge holders via the council website. This includes drivers collecting or dropping off a registered Blue Badge holder from a residential address

In exceptional circumstances, access between 10.30am and 4pm can be requested online. Apply for access to the city centre.

Published: 7 April 2021