A local authority has revealed its plans to help support four town centres successfully emerge from Covid-19 lockdown.
Denbighshire council has published proposals for Ruthin, Denbigh, Rhyl and Llangollen.
These include creating space for pubs, cafés and restaurants to trade outdoors, widening pavements to allow for social distancing, and implementing changes to make it easier to walk and cycle.
Welsh Government Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government, Hannah Blythyn has announced up to £5.3 million from the Transforming Towns programme will be used to fund adaptions in town centres across Wales.
She visited Rhyl yesterday to discuss future plans as well as see where previous town centre funding had been spent.
Denbighshire council said: “In May 2020, Welsh Government put out a call for expressions of interest from local authorities to bid for funding to make short-term, temporary changes to town centres that will help to make them feel safe and welcoming.
“The council submitted expressions of interest for proposed schemes in Rhyl, Denbigh, Ruthin and Llangollen.
“On 21st June 2020, the council launched a survey to find out how businesses and residents felt about town centres beginning to re-open. Early responses indicate that businesses are quieter than they usually would be for the time of year, and that residents are generally nervous about returning to town centres.
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“Many respondents indicated that they were only visiting town centres to carry out essential tasks and over half of respondents who left a comment expressed concerns about pavement widths and the inability to safely practice social distancing.”
Proposals for the four towns:
RUTHIN
1: Support social distancing in Market Street and Well Street by introducing a one-way traffic system to the town centre along these routes. This will enable pavements to be widened in problem areas.
2: To support pubs, cafés and restaurants in Ruthin town centre to create outside seating areas where it is safe and practicable to do so.
Planters will be used to mark out the lanes and create safe outdoor spaces for cafes. restaurants and pubs.
3: Implementing infrastructure changes which make active travel easier.
DENBIGH
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1: Support social distancing in Vale Street, High Street, and Bridge Street by introducing a one-way traffic system to the town centre. This will enable pavements to be widened in problem areas.
2: Temporarily relocate Denbigh market from Hall Square to the High Street (where it used to be). This is because a large amount of Hall Square is currently inaccessible due to ongoing works on the former Crown Hotel, and will allow stalls to spread out further.
3: To support pubs, cafés and restaurants on Vale Street and High Street to create outside seating areas where it is practicable to do so.
4. To temporarily impose a 20mph speed limit along Park Street, Beacon’s Hill and Grove Road, in case the one-way system leads to an increase in traffic along these routes.
RHYL
1: The proposals for Rhyl are to create improved shared space for pedestrians and cyclists in key areas of Rhyl between the railway station and the seafront. This will be through the installation of temporary ‘Lane Defender’ systems in the following locations:
■ The eastern side of Bodfor Street and Queen Street.
■ The northern side of Wellington Road, between Elwy Street and High Street.
■ Along West Parade, between Water Street and High Street.
LLANGOLLEN
1: Support social distancing in busy areas of Llangollen by creating widening pavements for shared pedestrian/cyclist use 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).
2: To support pubs, cafés and restaurants in the town centre to create outside seating areas where it is safe and practicable to do so.
3: Implementing infrastructure changes which make active travel easier.