Bridge Street plans and Basin Link

So I knocked out an email on Tuesday to the Planning Authority regarding the Bridge Street refurbishment, and no I've not seen any form of acknowledgement from their server. Without republishing it in its entirety or repeating myself too much I'll just go over some key points.

The 'crossing' point next to the bridge. Let's look at where people using it are coming from or going to - from the car-park, either directly or indirectly (from the amusements); from the Crown; from Engine Lane; from further up town; from the bridge; from the Riverside, either via the stairs or Coopers Lane; from the Bridge.

So for starters anyone coming from or heading up the town should be using the pedestrian crossing that's, well, further up the town. Anyone from the car-park close to the river should be using the archway unless they're specifically crossing the bridge (only while the spiral staircase is out or they've got wheels) or heading for the Bridge; otherwise they should be using the crossing. So I tally that to the uninformed, the lazy, and possibly the drunk crossing here; hey let's help them shall we?

The point in this case is not that people cross here, it's why they cross here. Short answer is that the crossing under the bridge is next to the river, which is at a distance from the play area and the top of the car-park/pub; and that if you want to use the pedestrian crossing you need to walk away from where you want to be heading then have to walk back along the other side, totally counter-intuitive.

We need another crossing under the bridge closer to the town it really is that simple. I use these arches myself although I either have to limbo or old retainer myself under them to do so. Back them off slope it down on all sides and do the same on the other side. I'm not talking about a full on five-person width affair like the current walkway, but enough that people will use it over playing dodge the traffic.

Next up the information point next to what is now going to be a restaurant, makes sense as it's the largest area of pavement on Bridge Street so far! Except of course we got this development in the works. This will be placed directly next to the current pedestrian crossing, which perhaps might encourage people to walk up to and use this crossing rather then the pseudo-crossing.

Okay so what's "Piazza-style" or "Piazza-type"? Dictionary gives me

an arcade or covered walk or gallery, as around a public square or in front of a building.

So it's either a piazza or it's not, how do you have a type or style of this nature? I mean I can have a velvet-type material in that it feels and looks like velvet, but isn't; I can have a Georgian-style building as one that emulates the Georgian manner of architecture, but wasn't built in Georgian times. I could even expand it to mean something that's like something else, but has a few non 'like' touches, but how do you do that for something so vague as the British use of piazza?

I laughed at "bring some good quality food and drink establishments" yeah that'll make you popular with the caffs and take-away shops on Bridge Street for the snide implication, I'm sure he meant - bring some more good quality food and drink establishments.

Okay meandering along my point was that the entire Bridge Street refurbishment plan makes no mention nor takes into account the Basin link, which is liable to have a massive affect on the pedestrian patterns around this area. I'm not saying rip it up and start again, but it certainly needs a rethink.