* The county council post which went out on Facebook.
Denbighshire
County Council has invited the people of Llangollen to have their say about
recent traffic changes made to the town centre aimed at making it easier for social distancing.
The Active Travel Team, which was responsible for carrying out
the controversial changes, posted a message on the Llangollen and District Noticeboard page of Facebook yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon.
Headed “Have
your say on town’s Local Sustainable Transport scheme”, this says: “Most of you in this Facebook group will be aware of the
temporary Local Sustainable Transport scheme which includes the installation of
'lane defenders' on parts of Abbey Road and Castle Street, closure of the link
road between Berwyn Street and Hall Street (the A5), and a change in the
direction of flow of vehicles on Bridge Street.
“We warmly invite
you to have your say on the temporary scheme by visiting the following web link
and completing the survey linked at the bottom of the page:
https://countyconversation.denbighshire.gov.uk/project/574”
Under the sub-heading
“Frequently asked questions”, the Facebook post adds: “We appreciate many of you have
queries or concerns about the scheme, and we will attempt to answer some of the
more common queries as follows:
“Why has a
temporary Local Sustainable Transport scheme been installed in Llangollen?
“The scheme has been installed in Llangollen by Denbighshire County
Council to enable some pavements to be widened to encourage active travel (such
as walking or cycling) as their main means of getting around town, and to
ensure that social distancing can be maintained.
“Was the community
informed?
“Yes, the Council ran a consultation on proposed schemes in Llangollen,
Denbigh, Rhyl and Ruthin from 10th to 26thJuly 2020. The Council received 91
responses for Llangollen.
“How has it been
funded?
“It has been funded
via the Welsh Government’s Local Sustainable Transport Response to Covid-19
scheme. The scheme asked local authorities to consider measures to support
social distancing in their biggest population hubs, and to encourage and
support active travel as a healthier and safer way to get around in light of
the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
“Could the money
have been used for something else to benefit Llangollen?
“No. The Local Sustainable Transport Response to Covid-19 scheme only
allowed local authorities to bid for money to undertake temporary works which
would support the objectives of promoting and encouraging active travel, and
ensuring that social distancing can be maintained. If the Council had been
unsuccessful in bidding for money based on the Welsh Government criteria, the
money from this grant would have been diverted to support active travel schemes
and social distancing measures in other locations
“How long is the
trial for?
“The trial scheme will be in place for a MAXIMUM of 18 months, however as it is
a trial the Council reserves the right to remove the scheme earlier, or to make
ongoing adjustments to the trial scheme should this prove to be necessary
“Why might it be
necessary to remove or make adjustments to the scheme?
The scheme aims to make active travel easier and safer and to support social
distancing. If it becomes clear as the trial continues that these requirements
are not being met or if the scheme is causing other unforeseen but significant
problems, then the Council may need to remove or make adjustments to the
scheme.
“Why didn’t you go
straight for a permanent scheme?
“The Welsh Government funding was only to install a temporary scheme, therefore
under the terms of the scheme we could only consider a temporary installation
at this stage however, we do have an obligation under the Active Travel (Wales)
Act 2013 to research, develop and promote active travel routes to and through
towns. If the trial conducted under the Covid-19 response scheme is successful,
we may be able to take any learning from it and integrate it into future research
and consultations for active travel proposals in the Llangollen area
“How/when will we
know if the trial scheme is working well?
“That’s partially up to you. We are collecting feedback from residents,
businesses and visitors on a regular basis which we will use along with road
safety data, traffic flow data, pedestrian footfall data, air quality
monitoring and a range of other measures to determine whether the scheme is
working. We would be grateful if you could complete our feedback surveys as
often as you feel necessary or if you spot anything that you think needs us to
look into. Llangollen is your town so we need to know that the scheme is
working as well as it can for as many people as possible, over the duration of
the trial period. We will be running surveys approximately every 8-10 weeks so
you can tell us what you think. We will benchmark your opinions from each
survey to build a ‘big picture’ as time goes on
“How will you
promote the surveys?
“If you live on one of the affected streets, or you have a business there – we
will send you newsletters with an update of the previous feedback survey as
well as information on how to participate in the new one; we will promote the
surveys on the council’s website and social media channels; we will promote the
surveys with physical signage along the routes; when you complete a survey,
there will be an option for you to provide your contact details so we can get
in touch with you directly with updates on the scheme and information on future
feedback surveys. You can tell us to write to you, email you, or notify you via
telephone/SMS
“When will you
report back on the surveys?
“We will report back on the previous survey each time we launch a new
one. There will be a gap of 1-2 weeks between a survey closing and us launching
a new one. This gives us time to analyse the previous survey, as well as to
consider whether the questions we’re asking are still the right ones, based on
our ongoing trial data."
A county council spokesperson said: "The council is also accepting feedback in writing to: The Active Travel Team, Denbighshire County
Council, Caledfryn, Denbigh, LL16 3RJ."
