County unveils full details of its pandemic movement plan for town

* The front cover of the consultation document.

The county council has revealed more details of its plan to promote active travel in the centre of Llangollen in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

And it says that as part of the scheme it aims to use Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) to suspend the parking bays on Castle Street.

However, the council has moved to reassure local people they will be consulted before any scheme is put in place.

The Welsh Government has provided funding for local authorities to introduce measures aimed at helping people to maintain social distancing in public places, and to encourage residents to walk and cycle safely. 

The funding allows councils to bring in temporary measures to support this. 

Schemes are in mind for Llangollen, Denbigh, Ruthin and Rhyl

Following criticism that it was not giving enough details of the schemes, the council has now issued a consultation document detailing what is in mind in each case.

Entitled Local Sustainable Transport Response to Covid-19: Proposals for Llangollen, this says: “We are proposing to create improved shared space for pedestrians and cyclists in key areas of Llangollen.

“This will be through the installation of temporary ‘Lane Defender’ systems in the following locations:

• Abbey Road, from the area outside Llangollen Railway Station to the Castle Street bridge

• Castle Street, from Parade Street to Market Street

• Castle Street, approximately 70% of the length from the Market Street junction to the A5 (Berwyn Street)

Additional proposals include:

• The closure of the link road between Hall Street and Berwyn Street (A5)

• Reversing the direction of flow of vehicles on Church Street

The proposals will allow us to:

• Widen pavements in areas where they are narrow, to facilitate social distancing

• Create shared space for pedestrians and cyclists

• Prevent the use of a key pedestrian route (Bridge Street and Church Street) as a ‘rat run’

• Support some pubs, cafes and restaurants on Castle Street and Abbey Road to create outside seating areas for their customers

• Encourage and support commuters, residents and tourists to choose active travel (walking or cycling) as their main means of getting around town.”

The document adds: “The pavements in Llangollen are narrow and the volume of traffic means that pedestrians and road users can be in almost constant conflict during the high season.

“With the requirement to ensure that social distancing can be maintained, it is an unacceptable risk to require pedestrians to step into a busy A-road.

“Comments received both directly to the council and circulated locally on social media groups have highlighted comments from within the Llangollen community that the existing parking bays cause traffic flow issues as pedestrians and cyclists are forced around the cars and into the road at peak times.

“We would like to take this opportunity to see if the social distancing measures can actually improve traffic, cyclist and pedestrian flows through the town centre.

“We are also aware that there is an increased emphasis on providing safe and welcoming outdoor spaces for people to spend time.

“Llangollen has a number of pubs, cafes and restaurants along the route of the proposed changes who may like to provide outside seating for their customers.

“Where it is practicable to do so, we would like to work with and support these businesses to make these changes."

And on the controversial issue of removing parking spaces along Castle Street, it says: “We will be using Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) to suspend the parking bays, and we will be using temporary “lane defender” equipment to make the new widened shared use space for pedestrians and cyclists.

“This equipment will be bolted down and can be installed quickly, and easily removed in the future.

“If the scheme (or a modified version of it) goes ahead, we will be monitoring the impact of the temporary measures in close detail over the next 18 months.

“This will include using some technology to monitor things like traffic flows, speeds, pedestrian flows and air pollution.

“We will also be collecting feedback from the community of Llangollen and reviewing this on a regular basis to monitor how residents, businesses and visitors feel about the ongoing impact of the temporary measures.

“Once we have considered the feedback we receive, we will discuss this with the Llangollen County Councillors and make a final decision on whether to proceed with the scheme.”

In a statement issued late yesterday evening, the council says: "Denbighshire County Council wishes to reassure residents and businesses in Denbigh, Llangollen, Ruthin and Rhyl that no final decision has been taken on draft proposals to encourage active travel in these towns during the Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, and that residents and businesses are warmly invited to have their say.

"Plans have been drawn up for four of the county’s towns and many people have shared their views on social media and other platforms about the proposals.  

"The council will be consulting with town businesses and residents on the proposals before making a final decision."  

* Further information on the Llangollen scheme can be found by visiting https://countyconversation.denbighshire.gov.uk/ where there is also a link to an online survey.

Councillor Brian Jones, Cabinet Lead Member for Waste, Transport and the Environment, said: “Keeping people safe is a key priority for the council and the council believes the proposed measures will help people feel safe when visiting our town centres and encourage them to stay longer. I would therefore encourage business and residents to take part in the consultation period that is now underway."