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Sue, planning policies are much like most other 'policies'; used by the government both locally and nationally to prove whatever they like and often disregarded when concerning something they want to do! When you have speak to some of these planners about their 'DD5s' or such policy, the lack of qualitative or quantities descriptors gets exhausted very quickly, very soon you're left with the subjectivity of the individual, and that's little more than our opinions now.
Andrew, I agree with you and Andrew to a point. The problem I see is that the areas you mention don't really exist as either vehicle or pedestrian areas. OK, so there are some signs suggesting it a pedestrian zone, but there is nothing really stopping anyone driving up the middle of town. There is also a an abundance of double yellow line, not something you see a great deal of in the pedestrianised precinct of Norwich city centre for instance (why would you need them) The fact is Dover doesn't function as one or the other and actually at present has an inability to.
The space from the market square to the town hall is on the most part poorly conceived (the result of poor post war planning (gotta love those planners, they really know what they're doing!) Many shops have poor or no loading space depending on access to the front of the shops. For pedestrians, potentially 'car free' areas are always going to be interrupted by roads that allow the town to function, and as you say impede footfall. As I say I do agree with you to a point but the problem extends much further than the areas in question!