Plans for towns to encourage social distancing

Monmouthshire council is considering wider pedestrian areas, allowing businesses to expand into the street and other social distancing measures for its town centres.

The county council has submitted an expression of interest to the Welsh Government for funding for local sustainable transport measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

These measure can be experimental because it is not clear how the “new normal” will look.

Specific measures that have been suggested by the council include improving cycling facilities, wider pedestrian areas, more space for public transport and spaces for businesses to expand into the street whilst maintaining social distance measures.

While most shops in town centres remain closed, Monmouthshire council acknowledges that proposals would have to be introduced relatively quickly when they are legally allowed to reopen.

A council report says that these temporary measures could be made permanent.

It says: “If successful, these temporary measures could be made permanent or at least inform Active Travel and Town Centre Regeneration plans that have been bid for in 2020/21 and potentially in the future.”

In the report, the council highlights social distancing, getting town centres up and running, encouraging active travel and the importance of public transport, as the main things to be considered.

This is supported by an ongoing consultation “with the local business community through the Monmouthshire Business Resilience Forum and wider local business networks and partner organisations.

However, the “on-going future of the high street was being debated long before the Covid-19 pandemic against the back drop of a greater customer preference for on line shopping, crippling business rates and decreasing footfall.”

The report says: “As we move forward there is a school of thought that high streets will be re-energised as residents who are continuing to work more from home shop more locally, a renewed sense of place and belonging spilling over from the support generated as a result of the ‘lockdown local’ mentality and the re-invigoration of the High Street as a destination as cafés, restaurants and pubs open their outdoor space and embrace café culture.”