Controversial plans to ban cars from a Welsh town centre will not be made permanent after residents raised concerns over the proposals.
Monmouthshire County Council will not go forward with proposals to close Newport Road, the main thoroughfare through Caldicot between the town centre and the B4245, to through traffic following comments from residents in the town.
The council initially closed the road for a three-week period in October 2021 to examine whether the best way to improve it would be to close it to through traffic and "understand the impact of such a closure on Newport Road itself as well on surrounding streets and nearby businesses".
The plans received a mixed response from locals and traders with some saying it would lead to less footfall in Caldicot town centre while others said it would make the road safer.
Read more: 'It's dividing the village' Disruption in small town after partial closure of major through road
Jo Colla from Ladybird Craft Centre on Newport Road said at the time that "a permanent closure [of the road] would close us down.
"We've been more quiet since they've been trialling it. We get a lot of our new customers from people who drive past, and now we won't get that."
The council has now confirmed it will not be going ahead with plans to permanently close the road following consultations with residents.
During the consultation the council said 162 people had responded to a survey, 140 attended a two-day community consultation event, more than 50 email correspondences had been received and over 500 people had aired their views on social media.
76% of respondents described noise levels on the road as poor or very poor while 66% said their pedestrian experience on the road was the same.
The council said it had discovered "people want convenience and access to their town" and that Newport Road "needs to be improved with build outs and better crossing points suggested but to maintain two-way vehicle movement."
It said some respondents "don't see these type of road improvements as an immediate priority" and that the town centre experience needed to be improved in terms of shops and other offerings.
It said it would instead be developing a "two-way proposal", designs for which will be presented in the coming months.
A spokesperson for Monmouthshire County Council said: “The decision not to proceed with the proposal to close Newport Road was taken on the basis of the strength of opinion that came through the community consultation, as well as data from the traffic surveys.
"Instead we are developing a two-way proposal that still involves opportunities for improved pedestrian pavements, better crossing points and measures that will complement the 20mph speed limit through the neighbourhood. These designs will be worked up and presented over the coming months.”
To get the latest stories and breaking news updates sent straight to your inbox, sign up for one of our newsletters.
