NEW options are being considered for the regeneration of Kingswood town centre following the discovery that there are major problems with banning traffic.
Sixty-nine per cent of respondents to South Gloucestershire Council’s consultations so far were in favour of pedestrianisation of the main shopping street.
But the authority has found that this is difficult to deliver because of technical issues with potential diversion routes.
It has now launched a new consultation to find out people’s priorities for the high street. Among the ideas suggested are banning heavy lorries from Regent Street, shutting the street occasionally for markets, creating outdoor cafes, improving parking for disabled people and revamping shop fronts.
Details of the latest moves in the Kingswood Masterplan can be found at https://kingswoodtowncentreimprovements.commonplace.is/news
An information session was being held at as the Voice went to print and the council told us it would hold talk to people in Kingswood about the proposals and gather feedback at community events and groups including the Kingswood Community Engagement Forum, Help at the Hub and Kingsmeadow@Madeforever.
A council spokesman said: “We considered the potential for pedestrianisation in Kingswood and publicly consulted on proposals in May 2020. Following feedback, we investigated the options further and in 2021 shared two potential diversions routes for traffic; a southern route, and a northern route.
“Since then, we have further explored the two options by assessing road and junction capacity and by monitoring local traffic volume and air quality. We have also carried-out modelling exercises to explore where traffic might go based on both diversion routes.
“This showed that the southern route isn’t a feasible option due the space available to build the necessary infrastructure. The northern route also creates challenges, and we have shared these with the public to seek their views and put forward alternative options for consideration.”