HEXHAM residents have had their say on the future of the town’s historic centre.

Townspeople gave their suggestions on how to improve Hexham Market Place last Thursday.

The event, at Hexham’s Trinity Methodist Church, was part of a public consultation on how to make Hexham’s historic heart more user-friendly.

Hexham Town Council has appointed sustainable transport charity Sustrans to carry out the consultation and design stages of the project.

With help from Sustrans officials, those attending Thursday’s meeting gave their views and mapped-out their vision on tracing paper over a map of the Market Square.

Resident David Grundy said: “My personal view is to close the whole market place area off to traffic and and have a turning area for buses in the old Abbey Clinic car park off Beaumont Street.

“We have to make the town distinct, otherwise it will just become another hum-drum market town.”

Giving a contrasting view point was resident Susan Sibbald, who said: “Personally I think it could be left the way it is. In recent years, Hexham doesn’t seem to be flourishing as well.

“I’m not sure making the market place pedestrianised is going to make any difference.”

Athel Cowley said: “I’m not averse to getting rid of cars. But if we go for an option which restricts traffic flow, it will create problems elsewhere in Hexham.”

And Hexham resident Elizabeth Leonard was in favour of pedestrianising the area, with the exception of the disabled bays.

She said: “A town centre needs to be primarily for pedestrians. Times change and we need to look at the needs of the whole community.

“The trouble is I don’t know how traffic would circulate around there; traffic has to come down Beaumont street, it has to go somewhere.”

Pedestrian and cyclist Kate Turner said she would like to see a town geared towards those not behind the wheel.

She said: “I would like to see something that is more pleasant to walk around.”

Sustrans has extended the deadline for comments on the proposed regeneration until October 7.

Comments can be submitted online via: hexhammarketplace.stickyworld.com

Sustrans will then draw up a number of design options to put before the public for consideration.