A high street in Wales is set to re-open to cars after almost two years. High Street in Chepstow town centre has been closed to through traffic since March 2020 having originally been closed for safety reasons due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The street was further closed later that summer in order to facilitate the return of outdoor dining in Wales with planters and additional disabled parking bays being installed as part of Monmouthshire County Council's plan to make it more people-friendly and reduce the number of cars in the area.
However the plans were met with mixed reactions with traders and shoppers complaining over a lack of footfall in the town and increased traffic congestion on the A48. A public consultation was launched earlier this summer which the council said "showed a clear majority preference for the High Street to be re-opened to traffic" and councillors are now expected to vote in favour of reopening the street at a meeting on Wednesday, July 27.
In 2021 Chepstow was deemed the worst high street in Wales after it finished third from bottom in an analysis of 1,000 high streets by London-based retail consultancy firm Harper Dennis Hobbs. The list ranked destinations on 'vitality' based on factors like empty units, proportion of 'low-quality shops' like bookmakers, suitability to the local community, and the proportion of bars.
Monmouthshire councillor Armand Watts said the council had revisited the issue as "it was clear that the majority of people wanted it gone". He added: "After the election we decided we would look at all the contentious issues and this was clearly important for people. A lot of older people who enjoy going into town, meeting friends, going to the bank, said they felt they had been isolated from the town.
"They felt it was almost a continuation of Covid. There had been a lot of discussion and the consensus was that we needed to look at it."
Cllr Watts said the previously-elected council had "no scope for people with an alternative view" and that the new council had decided to "listen to the people" in the town who felt strongly about the issue. He said the council would be looking at its proposals on how to address traffic and pollution along the A48 in the coming weeks. "There are issues with access, on risk on the A48 [that need to be looked at]. Everybody understands that the infrastructure is stretched. There isn't the funding for road infrastructure. We have to look at planning again regarding our local development plan. We know the infrastructure is under tremendous pressure."
Regarding whether restoring vehicle access on High Street would improve footfall he added: "I certainly hope [it will help]. It's not a silver bullet. [But] it will restore people's ability to go in, park up and enjoy the town, do their shopping."
County councillor Paul Pavia said he had been opposed to closing the street on health grounds once the UK began living with coronavirus. "I did feel it needed to be re-opened," he said. "The issue was that it was closed on the basis of a public health emergency which was fine given the pandemic and the need for safety measures. It hasn't gone away but now that we are in a position where Covid is endemic and is being managed I didn't feel you could keep it shut."
Cllr Pavia said he was unsure whether the closure had affected traders but admitted the traffic issues may have deterred people. "Some people say driving through allows them to have a look but then there are other shops in the arcades off the main street that you wouldn't know were there even if you drove in.
"It has impacted on traffic and that information has rippled out of Chepstow and people might not even have come in as they didn't want to navigate the extra traffic. I can see why that would have put people off."
Cllr Pavia said there were traffic issues in the town which needed to be considered if any long-term closure was to be implemented again. He said other options could be explored for High Street such as closures at certain parts of the day. "The bottom of the street has driving regulations already between 10am and 4pm to allow for deliveries. It may be that you could mirror that for the high street and have it open at rush hour.
"I represent residents in Mount Pleasant and Newport Road and they are suffering quite considerably. The challenge is the topography of the town and I know that options are being looked at for an electric bike scheme and safe routes through the town. There is also work looking into a transport hub in Chepstow. The closure has created a one-route town.
"One of the issues is that Moor Street has buses having to come around and do a loop which does clog up that road. That would need to be looked at in any long term closure."
Following the consultation the Steering Group for the Transforming Chepstow Masterplan has unanimously requested that the High Street be re-opened to traffic. The decision is expected to be confirmed at a full council meeting on Wednesday, July 27.
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