A MAJOR new package of funding has been announced by the Welsh Government to create more space for people to travel under social distancing restrictions.

Councils across Wales will get investment for schemes that widen pavements and create more space for cyclists, to embed those new habits for the long term.

The £15.4 million move is part of the Welsh Government’s radical new ‘Transforming Towns’ approach, which aims to make it safer and easier for people to get around their local centre.

The funding will also be used to help buses move around towns more easily, to promote public transport when the lockdown eases.

The funding is accompanied by new guidance which can help those responsible for public spaces to re-design areas with high footfall such as town centres, community areas and green spaces.

“During this lockdown we have seen a real change in people’s behaviours, with more and more of us choosing to walk and cycle for necessary journeys," said deputy minister for economy and transport Lee Waters MS.

"When we have been able to get out of the house it has been great to enjoy the cleaner air and quieter streets.

"But it’s clear we’ve got to take action now to lock-in for the long term many of those changed behaviours we have seen, by making a positive choice to reallocate road space in our town centres and in our communities, and to give it over to better active travel infrastructure.

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More than 200 proposals were submitted following a call earlier in the spring for ideas to and Mr Waters said it was encouraging "to see so much enthusiasm for the wider work the Welsh Government is doing to re-think our town centres and public squares for the future".

“We asked local authorities to prioritise those schemes which can be delivered within the next three to four months and which can have the greatest impact in their local area, hopefully making a real difference to how people see and get around their local area," he said.

" Today is hopefully the start of our long-term project to enhance our town centres and public areas.”

Some £2m of the funding is specifically for schemes around schools. With children starting to return to classrooms in the next few weeks, enabling safe walking and cycling journeys and maintaining social distance at school gates, is seen as vital.

Full details of schemes in each council area will be published later today, and councils will be expected to monitor the impact of their measures, and make adjustments if necessary.

New ‘Safer Public Spaces’ guidance has also been published, providing information on, and examples of, temporary interventions that could be undertaken by owners and operators of public spaces to keep people safe as and when restrictions are relaxed, and urban spaces become busier.

These include active travel measures, along with consideration of pedestrian movement; queues; traffic management; the use of outdoor space by the hospitality industry; and hygiene measures.