‘Loved to death’: Traffic changes will help at Lennox Head

Business owners are looking forward to the upgrade of the main street.

Lennox Head chamber of commerce representatives Brad Pollard, Zain Peart, Belinda Dunn and Lois Buckett, plus business owner Alessandro Matricardi, in the main street of Lennox Head.

Lennox Chamber of Commerce is looking forward to traffic calming devices being installed, marking the start of significant upgrades of the coastal town's amenities.

Ballina Shire Council confirmed the calming traffic devices will be installed from tomorrow, Tuesday, February 2, to improve pedestrian safety in the area.

The package of measures will include a speed limit reduction to 30km/h in the village centre and Park Lane.

The works will include the installation of speed humps along Park Lane and Ballina Street, plus a new roundabout at the intersection of Ballina Street and Allens Parade.

Lennox Chamber of Commerce's treasurer Brad Pollard welcomed the changes.

"There is a lot of traffic coming down the hill from Byron Street, also from Allens Parade, and it's been a long-held view that traffic coming down that hill is at a speed that can be quite dangerous," he said.

"The idea is to make it easier for people to get in and out of Allens Parade, but also slow the traffic a bit more before they hit the main street.

"The trial of the 30km/h speed limit is a speed that we are not unfamiliar with.

"Lennox is a popular place to live, it's natural that people would want to move here, and these measures are aimed at striking the right balance between vehicular amenity versus people's amenities, and making it safe for people to cross the street in town."

The works mark the beginning of a series of works earmarked for the renewal of the village centre as part of the Lennox Village Vision, a set of projects to be completed before Lennox marks its centenary in December next year.

Ballina mayor David Wright announced the beginning of the works during this address to the community at the Ballina Shire Council's Australia Day ceremony.

"Lennox Head main street upgrade will proceed in earnest (this year), starting next week," he said.

Brad Pollard said the village needs and upgrade after experiencing a sustained increase in residents.

"Lennox has been loved to death," he said.

"Alstonville had their town centre's upgrade, so did Ballina, and Lennox's town centre upgrade is well overdue.

"The design is in keeping with who we are as a community to make it a safe and beautiful place to hang out, and it obviously comes at a cost, and the disruption will not be welcomed in the short term, but it's something that we need to push through so businesses and the community can enjoy the benefits," he said.

Click here to see details on the Lennox Village Vision in Ballina Shire Council's website.