Project team outlines Four Highways scheme to online audience

* A map of the areas involved in the project.

The team behind the scheme to improve links between the four famous ‘highways’ that run through the heart of the town explained the £1.25m plan to an online local audience yesterday (Thursday) evening.

Following a successful application to the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund (LUF) Denbighshire County Council aims to enhance the public spaces that connect Llangollen Canal, the old Ruabon to Barmouth Railway line, the River Dee and A5 Holyhead Road. 

As the first phase of a public consultation exercise four members of the project team – the council’s project managers Sian Lloyd Price and Kimberley Mason along with design expert Daniel Smith and landscape specialist Chris Brinnington from consultancy firm Burroughs & The Urbanists - held three separate half-hour Microsoft Teams sessions yesterday.

The first for local residents attracted around 10 participants, about four businesses were at the second and the third, for everyone else, was attended solely by llanblogger’s Phil Robinson.

The aims of the sessions, according to the team, were to Introduce themselves, give an update on what had been done so far and detail the next steps.

Total budget for the project, which has received substantial help from Levelling Up, is around £1.25m and work is expected to be completed by March of 2024, they said.

They also pointed out that this was a new project and not an extension of the Castle Street works or any other on-going developments in Llangollen.

It is based on an initial concept design developed several years ago, which includes lots of ideas but is not a final design or plan, giving flexibility around what its final appearance.

Although no work has yet started, site information gathering has commenced, including conversations with landowners and technical specialists to understand what may be possible at each of the sites involved.

The team explained that there will be public realm improvements covering a total of 960 square meters within the area around the Wharf, the Railway and Lower Dee Mill Park.

Improvements near the Wharf will include seating and signage along with aiming for better access, which might mean improvements to the steep flight of steps up from the Abbey Road side.

At Lower Dee Mill Park, which the team said feedback from the public has shown to be an under-used natural asset, the proposal is to provide new seating with, potentially, “other activities such as play,” they explained. There will also be new signage.

Another aim is to improve signage around the station area.

The team stressed that details of the project’s design have not yet been finalised, adding that “nothing is off the table”.  

Residents, businesses and other interested parties are being invited to share their ideas, either online, in person or in writing

A face-to-face meeting in the town centre with project managers is due to be confirmed in the next couple of weeks for those unable to attend the online sessions.

A questionnaire will be launched on Denbighshire’s engagement portal, County Conversations, and will also be available from Llangollen Library from next week. This will be promoted on our social media and information regarding the consultation will be also displayed on a poster to be distributed around Llangollen from next week.

* Anyone with further questions, comments or concerns are asked to email Kimberley Mason and Sian Lloyd Price, Project Managers, at: fourgreathighways@denbighshire.gov.uk