The Traffic Calming Revolution That Will Save Your Historic Town Centre
Let's cut to the chase here: if you're responsible for a historic town or city centre, you're probably tearing your hair out.
You need paving that looks right for the place. That fits the character. That respects the centuries of history that underpin the streets - but also needs to survive the crushing weight of modern traffic on streets designed for horse-drawn carts.
For years, the only game in town was traditional granite cobble setts. And yes, they look amazing. They're the kind of thing that makes conservation officers weep with joy, and tourists whip out their cameras. But installing them ? Nightmare. We're talking weeks. Or months. Road closures, diversions, local business shut due to lack of customers, residents confined to their homes and a deluge of complaints to the council - it's unsustainable, it's unfair and it's no longer necessary.
The Old Way Just Isn't Working
Let me paint a picture for you - you've got a historic high street lined with independent shops and characterful buildings that the whole community relies on for foot traffic. And to top it all off, the road surface looks awful.
You want to do it properly and get the old surface resurfaced. But you know what will look right in this historic setting : granite setts. So you instruct the contractors to rip up the old road, dig up the sub-base and then lay down a new layer of setts. And then... weeks go by. The shops are empty, the complaints keep piling up, the local paper is full of headlines about another "council cock-up" and you're stuck in the middle trying to justify the fact that doing the right thing is also - you guessed it - the most disruptive thing imaginable.
This is the old way - and it's well and truly broken.
It's broken because our historic streets can do so much better than some bland, ugly alternative. It's broken because no local business can survive months of closure. And it's broken because residents have had enough of being treated like an afterthought.
New Thinking, New Solutions
But what if I told you there is a better way?
What if you could still get the authentic look of traditional granite setts - without the months of disruption? Yes, it's true.
Meet Quicksetts
Developed in partnership between Jobling Purser and Design Cast, Quicksetts are the revolutionary new paving solution you've been waiting for. On the surface, they look and feel just the same as traditional granite setts. You get the authentic appearance, the character and the conservation officer's seal of approval.
But when it comes to installation, things get really interesting. Instead of ripping up the road like before, Quicksetts are bonded directly onto the existing surface. Whether it's asphalt or concrete - no problem. A whole street can be laid in a single day and reopened to traffic within just a few hours. That's right - hours.
Think about what that means.
No more weeks or months of road closures to cause disruption, no more ruined local businesses and no more never-ending complaints to the council.
Just a beautiful, heritage-compatible surface that's laid and ready to go in the blink of an eye - and that lasts for decades to boot.
The Tech Behind The Magic
Maybe you're thinking "how on earth does this actually work?" And the answer is that it's not magic - it's just good old-fashioned engineering.
Quicksetts are essentially high-performance, resin-bound paving units that are made to look just like traditional granite setts. But they're designed to be installed using modern, stress-free methods.
The key is the adhesive system - instead of laying setts on a sand-cement bed that needs weeks to set (which usually means weeks of road closures, skips and disruption) the Quicksetts are bonded using a specialist cold-applied bedding compound. The compound sets rapidly, creating a bond strong enough to withstand the heaviest traffic.
What does this mean in practice?
It means that you can transform your town centre in a single working day. The contractors turn up, prepare the surface, apply the adhesive, lay the setts, and before you know it - the road is back open. No diggers, no skips, no weeks of disruption.
It's paving for the modern era - and it's available now.
The Proof Is In The Paving
I know what you're thinking at this point : this all sounds too good to be true. So where's the evidence?
The evidence is in the projects across the UK where Quicksetts have been deployed - from historic market towns to busy city centres. They've been put to the test on bus routes, in conservation areas, and on high streets with heavy footfall.
And the results?
Consistently impressive. In Northumberland, the county council needed to slow traffic entering villages. They chose Quicksetts low-profile rumble strips. Result? Effective traffic calming, minimal noise complaints and a rollout that's continuing across the county.In Oxfordshire a busy bus route into the city was given a run with Quicksetts. And the early results looked pretty good. Drivers seemed to ease up on the peddle. Bus operators were quietly pleased. And residents just shrugged and carried on.
And in loads of town centres, Quicksetts have been used to create really nice public spaces that look like they've been there for ages, but actually get laid in a weekend.
The feedback from clients is pretty consistent I'm told.
"Quicksetts got us the old-fashioned look we wanted without the weeks of disruption."
"The installation was amazingly quick. We were open for business the next morning."
"Our conservation bloke approved the design straight away."
"The public seemed really happy with the result."
The Alternatives Just Don't Cut It
Let's be blunt, the options to Quicksetts are either ugly, or a nightmare to install, or both.
Option 1: Cheap asphalt. It's easy to put down but it's a disaster in a town centre. It's the "we've given up" option. It sends out a message that you don't care about the character of the place.
Option 2: Cheap concrete blocks. They're a bit better than asphalt, but they still look like what they are - boring concrete blocks. They don't have the same charm as granite. They don't age nicely. They just sit there looking okay.
Option 3: Traditional granite setts. They look fantastic. They last for centuries. But the installation is a right old fiasco. Weeks of disruption, angry residents, and strugling businesses.
Option 4: Quicksetts. They look like granite. They last as long as granite. They get laid in a day. They're the only option that gets the old-fashioned look without the old-fashioned hassle.
It's really pretty clear what the choice should be.
The Business Case
I know what you're thinking: Quicksetts are probably more expensive upfront. And yeah, they are. But let's talk about the whole cost.
Traditional granite setts: Getting them in place is a nightmare. Weeks of disruption. Weeks of lost trade. Weeks of complaints. And then there's the cost of the setts, the skilled labour, the digging up the old surface, chucking the old stuff away, and shutting the road.
Quicksetts: Getting them in place takes a day. One day of disruption. One day of lost trade. One day of griping. And then it's done. The surface is laid, the road is open, and everyone can get back on with their day.
Now add in the long-term costs.
Granite setts need maintenance. Individual setts can come loose. The base can start to fail. Repairs are a right old pain and expensive to boot.
Quicksetts are durable. If one gets damaged you can replace it with a new one. The adhesive system is pretty robust. The whole-life cost is way lower than traditional options.
When you add up the total cost of ownership, Quicksetts are a bargain.
The Aesthetic Advantage
Aesthetics don't get enough attention if you ask me. We live in a country with some of the most beautiful historic streetscape around. From the cobbled streets of York to the Georgian squares of Bath, our heritage is written in stone. It's what makes our towns and cities unique - and what draws people from all over the place.
When we pave these streets with cheap, ugly materials, we're not just making a practical decision. We're making a statement about what we value. We're saying that convenience matters more than character. That speed matters more than beauty. That modern life matters more than our shared heritage.
I don't think that's right.
I think we can have it both ways. I think we can have streets that are beautiful and functional. That respect the past and serve the present. That look like they've been there for centuries but were laid in a weekend.
That's what Quicksetts deliver.
They give you the authentic granite look and feel. The colour variation. The texture. The slight unevenness that makes a street feel alive. But they're laid using modern tech that doesn't have to disrupt people's lives.
They're the best of both worlds.
The Environmental Case
And then there's the environmental angle. Traditional granite sett installation is pretty resource-hungry. It requires digging up the existing surface, chucking the old materials away, and importing new aggregate. All of which has a big carbon footprint.
Quicksetts are surface-mounted. You don't have to dig up the old surface. No waste. No massive skips heading to landfill. The carbon footprint is dramatically lower.
In an era of climate emergency, that matters.
It matters to the people we serve. It matters to the regulators we answer to. And it matters to the planet we all live on.
Quicksetts aren't just pretty and practical. They're also sustainable.
The Verdict
If you're the person in charge of a historic town or city centre, you've got a choice to make.You can stick with the old way and opt for traditional granite setts - accept the weeks of disruption, be prepared for the local residents to complain non-stop & watch as local businesses struggle along the way. And the punchline is you'll have to explain to them all that "It's worth it in the long run"
Or you can take a more modern approach . Impose Quicksetts on the town. Get that heritage look you need but here's the thing - you can get it all installed in a single day. Re open the road & before you know it residents will be forgetting all those complaints. local businesses will start to thrive again - and that's the real magic of it all.
You only have to make the choice once
Quicksetts are the ultimate Heritage paving solution - delivering a whole heap of good stuff like looks, authenticity, and durability - without the downside of weeks of road closures, endless resident gripes, and all the frustration that goes with it.
They're the answer youve been searching for all along & they're available now.
Get Ready to Give Your High Street a Makeover
Joblings Quicksetts are the game-changer in heritage paving. They look amazing , you can count on them to last, & they can even get done in just a day.
Get in touch with the team to get the conversation started. They'll guide you through the whole process, sort out any questions youve got & give you all the reasons why Quicksetts are the ideal choice for local high streets & city centres.
Settle for nothing but the best , specify Quicksetts.
QUICKSETTSâ„¢ Cobblestone Setts - The Contemporary Alternative to Traditional Granite Setts. Quick Setting Cobbles, Open to Traffic in Hours.
