Powys town's one-way system has been an “overwhelming success”

Installed back in September 2021, the one-way system in Hereford Street, Presteigne, was introduced to help ease congestion and make it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to access local amenities.

Upon conclusion of the trial period, all comments from the community were considered as part of a full review and it was clear the one-way system has been an overwhelming success and it has been agreed that the changes will be adopted permanently.

Some minor amendments to the infrastructure will be made to improve road safety and discourage drivers unfamiliar with the road layout from inadvertently going the wrong way. These changes, suggested by the community during the trial period, will include creating a small build-out into the road at the police station end of the one-way system and repositioning one of the signs.

“For a number of years, the local community have benefited from many of the improvements made by Powys County Council as part of a Safe Routes in Communities project, which has been funded by the Welsh Government,” said Councillor Jackie Charlton, the local authority’s cabinet member for a Greener Powys.

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While these modifications are made, there may be a little disruption to traffic traveling along Hereford Street for a number of days, but this will be kept to a minimum.

Once complete, works will then proceed on the widening the end of the High Street. Although originally planned for this week, the decision was recently made to complete the work on Hereford Street first, before beginning work on the High Street.

The work to raise the cobbled section of the end of the street, near the library, and incorporate it into the pavement permanently is expected to take no longer than two weeks to complete. While the work takes place the pavement will be closed but access to the shops will be maintained.

When finished, the widened path will improve access within the town and will ensure that the walkway is accessible for all, especially on busy days or for those pushing buggies or using wheelchairs.

“The active travel scheme in Presteigne was designed to encourage people to walk or cycle short journeys rather than drive, particularly on the school runs,” added Cllr Charlton. 

“With safe paths travelling most of the length of the bypass with links to both the high school and primary school as well as towards the town centre and the town’s housing estates, we hope to encourage more people to leave the car at home.

“We would like to thank the community and everyone engaged in working with Powys to get these changes in place which will improve movement around this historic town and make the visitor experience better for everyone.”