Home » Partial de-pedestrianisation plans for Bridgend town centre backed unanimously

Partial de-pedestrianisation plans for Bridgend town centre backed unanimously

Bridgend Town Centre (pic: Lewis Smith)

A MOTION on proposals for the partial de-pedestrianisation of Bridgend town centre has been backed unanimously by members of the county borough council.

The move, which has been discussed by residents and business owners for a number of years, was brought forward by Independent Councillor Ian Williams of Oldcastle at a recent full council meeting held in January, 2025.

In it he asked cabinet members to consider committing to a partial reintroduction of traffic to Queen Street, Dunraven Place and Market Street “at the earliest practicable opportunity” in order to support town centre traders.

The latest of the long-standing talks come after a number of streets in Bridgend town centre were pedestrianised back in 2004, leading to claims from the town’s traders of a massive drop-off in footfall in the years since.

They also come after a public consultation in 2016 which was said to have seen high levels of engagement with the public showing a “resounding” support of the partial re-opening of the town centre.

Pedestrianisation is the process of converting a street or public area into a place for pedestrian use only, with the aim of improving safety, reducing pollution, and promoting walking by making it more appealing to members of the public.

However, speaking at the meeting, Cllr Williams said everyone he had spoken to in the town was “desperate” for the bollard to remain down and for traffic to be reintroduced with one hour, or half-hour parking allowed for shoppers on the roads.

He also quoted safety figures which said there had been no accidents on these streets in the last three years during the times when it was open to traffic between 6pm and 10am, despite these being the hours where most people made their way to and from work or school.

Cllr Williams said: “The future success of Bridgend town centre is now critical and this motion would be a strong start in turning things around. Don’t forget that Porthcawl, Maesteg, and Pencoed all have town centres which vehicles can access at all times of the day.”

Labour Councillor Simon Griffiths agreed that it was important to keep town centres modern so they reflected the need of residents, proposing an amendment that would include all transport options for the town, including cycling which is currently banned in pedestrianised areas.

online casinos UK

With the amendment agreed, the motion was later passed for council to ask cabinet members to consider the move to partially de-pedestrianise the area in the coming months.

Author