Parking ban in tourist town centre while pavements are widened
On-street parking will be banned in parts of Llangollen town centre until the end of March as part of a scheme to widen pavements in the popular tourist town.
Every year hundreds of thousands of people visit the Welsh town, home of the International Musical Eisteddfod and Denbighshire Town Council is keen to make it easier for pedestrians to enjoy the centre.
The £1.75 million scheme will see several pavements widened and modernised to allow for a better flow of those visiting the town on foot.
However some local people say that not being able to park for a short time to visit the shops will hit trade over winter.
Many of the pavements in the town centre are narrow and uneven.
The county council has published an extensive list of parking suspension orders taking in Castle Street, Bridge Street, Market Street, Hall Street, Mill Street, Parade Street, East Street, Oak Street and part of Abbey Road.
While the orders will be phased they will run from October until the end of March while the pavement widening scheme is being carried out.
Phasing of the restrictions will mean there should be some on street parking in Llangollen at all times.
The town also has a main town centre car park and a smaller one in the town while there are also car parks on the Trevor Road at in front of the Eisteddfod ground.
The orders are due to be lifted by March 31 next year when the £1.75m scheme to widen pavements in Castle Street – the town’s main street – is due to be completed.
Graham Timms, a Llangollen councillor on Denbighshire County Council, said the Castle Street pavement scheme had been deliberately planned over winter to avoid the busy tourism season.
“The work could have been done over a shorter timespan but it was felt this would cause huge disruption to residents and businesses,” he said.
“Instead it has been planned over the winter, outside the main tourism season, to limit the amount of disruption.”
The coronavirus pandemic has seen the traditional Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod postponed for the last two summers with virutal events held instead.
While the town lost the influx of visitors during the Eisteddfod week in July the restrictions on overseas travel has meant many people have instead visited UK areas such as Llangollen for their holidays.
The town's heritage railway attracts many thousand visitors each year alone while outdoor sport enthusiasts from walkers to mountain bikers and kayakers also visit.
