The Cabinet of Bridgend County Borough Council has this week approved plans for changing the rules on how Bridgend town centre’s pedestrianised streets can be accessed as part of a new experimental traffic order.
Under the proposals, loading and unloading hours will be extended to before 11am and after 4pm, and existing taxi bays on Derwen Road which are currently underused will be converted to establish additional parking spaces for blue badge holders.
Subject to a safety assessment, more cycling will be allowed within the pedestrianised area, and arrangements will also be put in place to simplify town centre access during large scale events or emergency incidents.
The changes have been agreed following the results of recent public consultation which drew 760 responses in total. Of these, 60 per cent were in support of extended loading and unloading hours, 56 per cent agreed with permitting cycling within the pedestrian area, and 64 per cent supported additional Blue Badge parking on Derwen Road.
“We have listened to public feedback from the consultation and have already endorsed a motion to Council on how traffic may be partially reintroduced. “As a result, an experimental traffic order will now be implemented by officers in order to accommodate the changes. This will be in place for the next 18 months, during which time we will be carefully monitoring the situation and analysing the results. “Public safety remains our primary concern in this matter, and while the Bridgend Town Centre Masterplan has concluded that options for improved town centre access should be explored following changes in National Policy and guidance, we will need to address the issue through a number of carefully managed phases. “As such, the experimental traffic order represents the first step towards restoring elements of vehicular and bicycle access within Bridgend town centre.”
