CAR-LESS streets across Southend have been branded impractical and would make parking problems even worse, business owners and councillors have said. 

Some of the busiest streets in Southend the Echo has put through the tool include Leigh Broadway, Hamlet Court Road and the A127.

Echo: Reinvented - Elm Road, LeighReinvented - Elm Road, Leigh (Image: Dutch Cycling Lifestyle)

How Leigh's Elm Road would look

But a move to having a city with fewer cars has been met with concern about how it would work in practice. 

For Kevin Buck, Conservative councillor responsible for highways, transport and parking, he says the theory is “good but the practicality is not”.

He added: “Creating car-less streets and having more cycle paths and trees is good for the environment and people’s quality of life, but you’re always going to have cars.

“If Leigh Broadway became pedestrianised, it will impact a lot of business in the evening as they’ll lose that evening economy as people will have nowhere to park.

“However, I have no problem in doing a trial period to see how businesses would cope and if it works, we could spread it out.”

Echo: Leigh Broadway without carsLeigh Broadway without cars (Image: Dutch Cycling Lifestyle)

The Broadway has been hailed by the community as a “mecca for independent businesses” with a host of small cafes, restaurants, shops and businesses thriving in the location.

Ricky Coombes, the owner of the Blind Barbers, in Leigh Broadway, thinks making the bustling business hub carless would be “silly”.

“Parking in Leigh Broadway is hard enough, so if it became car-less, it would just cause even more problems," he said. 

“With that, if people can’t park, it will put them off from coming down, and then myself and other businesses would lose money.

“It’s good from a health and wellbeing perspective but in terms of business, it wouldn’t work.”