Ceredigion Council active travel changes approved

IMPROVING ‘active travel’ across Ceredigion must be encouraged cabinet is told, as it signs off the latest plan for Cardigan.

On Tuesday (June 9) members of Ceredigion County Council’s cabinet approved proposed parking restrictions and one-way provision in Cardigan as part of its Cardigan Active Travel footway improvements.

It follows a public consultation on introducing parking restrictions on College Row and Maes-yr-Haf and one-way traffic on Bathhouse Road, College Row and Maes-yr-Haf.

One objection was received but overruled by officers.

Cllr Paul Hinge spoke at the virtual cabinet meeting and said he supported the Cardigan scheme, highlighting “the need for the active travel scheme throughout the county” especially as in the move to the “new normal.”

An increase in cycling and walking had been seen in recent months and the council “must look to the future in Ceredigion, in ensuring we have cycle/footways so that our major towns can be accessible from the surrounding villages that feed into them,” added Cllr Hinge.

A report to cabinet states that £108,000 funding is being sought from Welsh Government’s Active Travel Fund, with an additional £12,000 match-funding from the county council, agreed at the corporate project management group on March 6.

Cabinet member for Porth Cynnal Cllr Alun Williams referred to the recent Welsh Government announcement of funding for travel plans adapting to post Covid-19 and the appetite for the public to see changes made.

“It’s very regrettable that we are so limited in the number of active travel schemes that each county can apply for.

“We have to take every opportunity to impress on the Welsh Government that local authorities need funding to achieve the modal shift that they say they want to see, all around Wales, not just in Cardiff,” he added.