THERE are hopes the ‘Lego blocks’ introduced after the spring lockdown to change the road layout in Petersfield town centre may be swapped for more permanent planters.

The scheme, aimed at making the town centre more pedestrian friendly and providing more room for shoppers in light of the Covid ‘spacing’ guidelines, was installed by Hampshire County Council.

After long delays, central government has now released a second wave of funding and it is hoped the blocks can be replaced with more attractive planters.

A Petersfield Society spokesman said: “Petersfield benefited from the most extensive measures of any town in Hampshire. Our Petersfield Neighbourhood Plan envisages a more shopper-friendly town centre with easier access to shops and easier movement around the town.

“The changes seem to have worked, but there were several problems resulting from the haste with which the scheme was implemented. Signage was poor, with people coming up the High Street from Dragon Street without being aware of the changed road layout being nonplussed about where to go.

“This has been improved and mystified motorists are now a rarity.”

And complaints have also been received about lack of enforcement of the bus gate outside Lloyds Bank.

The spokesman added: “Enforcement is a police responsibility, and Hampshire County Council intends installing automatic number plate recognition cameras to redress this.

“Any more permanent changes would also include provision for blue badge parking and other parking enhancements.

“We have a complex town centre – many places, for instance St Peter’s Road into The Square, are not suited to large vehicles or high traffic flows.

“And studying the way the scheme has affected vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and access to shops and businesses has informed the Petersfield Strategy Group in their implementation of the neighbourhood plan.”