Welshpool one-way system plans 'drawn on the back of a fag packet'

That is the view of Welshpool county councillor Graham Breeze who has examined new proposals for the system, that has caused problems in the town since it was introduced in 2011.

Since then there have been public meetings and calls for things to be changed amidst worries about pedestrian safety.

Welshpool Town Council has been pressing the Welsh Government to reduce Broad Street to a single lane and return Brook Street and Union Street to a two-way system.

Cabinet Secretary for economy and infrastructure Ken Skates said earlier this year that his officials had carried out investigations and new plans were to be drawn up.

Councillor Breeze has seen the plans produced by the government and believes they are 'flawed and dangerous'

He said: "I sincerely hope the town council send this plan straight back to Mr Skates because it is flawed and dangerous.

“It looks like something drawn on the back of a fag packet and my first impressions are that part of the herringbone parking scheme suggested is the wrong way around.

“The drawing supplied to the town council from the minister’s office clearly shows a crossing area at New Street junction pointing in the wrong direction and preventing vehicles from parking correctly.

“A request for a light-controlled crossing outside the town hall has also been ignored and a zebra crossing is being proposed.

"I witnessed vehicles travelling up Broad Street at well over 40mph on Saturday lunchtime and I wouldn’t have fancied anyone’s chances on a zebra crossing."

In 2015 a public meeting took place with calls made to make changes to the system.

Also in 2015, Dyfed-Powys Police revealed they had been called to 71 crashes on the system since it opened in March 2011.

The statistics were for High Street, Broad Street, Jehu Road, Brook Street, Union Street, Mill Lane, Church Street and Severn Street, with 19 collisions in the system in its first nine months. Four of them involved injury.

The new proposals will be discussed at a planning meeting on Wednesday.

Councillor Breeze is disappointed that the minister is yet to respond to calls for two streets to be returned to a two way system.

He added: “The most important part of the proposal is returning Brook Street and Union Street to two-way traffic which immediately relieves Broad Street so it is disappointing that the town is still waiting for the minister’s response on the proposals after a study was completed.

“I will be attending the planning committee meeting on Wednesday to hear the views of the town councillors and will also be sending my concerns to the minister.”

The Welsh Assembly has been asked to comment.