New proposals for the improvement of pedestrianisation in Penarth Town centre have been detailed on the Penarth Town Council website along with a survey for local residents to fill in.

The last few months have been difficult for many and particularly tough for our local traders and businesses who were asked to close abruptly at the end of March.

Covid-19 came as a shock to us all and we quickly had to adapt to a new normal.

Their incomes and livelihoods disappeared overnight, and many shops, cafes and restaurants had to adapt to allow them to survive by offering takeaway and delivery services. We have heard about people's experiences as part of the Nub News' 'Learning from Lockdown' series.

The community of Penarth has come together and should be rightly proud of how we have all helped our friends, families and neighbours through this difficult time.

Over the last month, as COVID restrictions have eased, local shops and cafes have been able to re-open, but with a need for continued distancing measures to be in place.

The shock and fear of the COVID virus has affected consumer confidence across the UK with an estimated 65% drop in footfall in town centres.

The Vale and Penarth town councils are aware of these issues and are thinking of how to best help our local traders to survive this crisis.

It is essential that the town centre is safe for residents and visitors over the summer and, in response, bollards have been installed by the Vale council to widen pavements and a one-way system for pedestrians, but this has received a mixed response and many have concerns over the loss of parking spaces.

New proposals by Penarth Town Council (in collaboration with local interest groups) published yesterday will mean that the same area is closed off for part of the day, for a trial period, to provide more space for people to walk around the centre safely.

There will not be any loss of parking spaces with disabled spaces being maintained and the number of spaces actually increasing from 521 to 546. It will also remove the current complex system of bollards, and simplify how the town centre is used.

Similar schemes have been developed in Cardiff and other towns in the UK and the council and local community groups are hoping that the same can work in Penarth.

These are just initial ideas - they want to hear from you so that they can be improved, and so that those views can be shared with the Vale council. Please visit the council website to learn more about the plans and complete the survey by 30 July so that you can have your say.

The council said: ''The information provided in this questionnaire will enable the town council to proactively represent your views to central and Local Government – notably the Vale of Glamorgan Council.

"As a town council, we DO NOT have control over highways, parking, pedestrianisation and trading laws.

"However, as Penarth's grassroots level of government, we DO have a passionate interest in representing the issues and concerns of constituents.

"This questionnaire focuses on three proposals for improvements within Penarth town centre. We would like to know your views on the general principles that underpin the proposals as well as the details themselves.

"Penarth Town Council is committed to ensuring that everyone in Penarth is heard and that current provisions in place – such as residence parking or delivery provisions – are not unduly compromised to meet the needs of other stakeholders within the town."

The three potential proposals for how the town centre could be improved:

1. Designating the town centre a Safe Space during the day

• Designating the town centre as for pedestrians only during the day could be one long-term solution for the town centre. Specific Safe Spaces could include Windsor Road from Arcot Street to the roundabout, including the bottom of Lower Glebe Street, and would be for a set period during the day.

• Traffic would have to utilise alternative routes to travel in and out of Penarth during the set times, with deliveries and loading taking place outside of designated hours.

1. Partial Pedestrianisation during the day: All Traffic

• This would be the use of the roadway as a 'shared space' between pedestrians and traffic during set times. Improvements to the town centre would need to be made to ensure that the space is safe and accessible to all.
• Loading and deliveries could take place throughout the day, along with travel through the town centre.

1. Partial Pedestrianisation during the day: Service Traffic only

• This would be the use of the roadway as a 'shared space' between pedestrians and traffic during set times. Unlike the proposal above, only service traffic – loading and deliveries – and public transport would be allowed within this space during the designated hours.