The centre of Barnstaple is set to receive a £1.75M face-lift designed to accompany ~Devon County Council~'s proposed western bypass of the town.
The £42M Barnstaple western bypass – which Edmund Nuttall, the council’s contractor, is on track to complete by summer 2007 – is designed to remove 50% of traffic from town centre roads such as The Strand. But the county and North Devon district council recognise the need to ensure that traffic levels do not creep up again.
Members of Devon County Council's executive have approved the scheme for the major through-routes of The Strand and the Square in Barnstaple, to address the poor conditions for all road-users created by high volumes of pedestrians and vehicles – 10,000 and 30,000 daily pass through respectively.
The Strand would be narrowed to single-lane width, and general traffic would be banned between 10am and 6pm.
‘Significantly wider’ footways would encourage both walking between the town centre and the river, and pavement cafes and restaurants. It would also be converted to one-way running from the Square towards the Civic Centre.
The Square, meanwhile, would get a major new public space.
Devon’s aim is to implement the traffic regulation orders by next summer, in time for the opening of the western bypass. County environment director, ~Edward Chorlton~ advised Devon’s cabinet that the changes would help ensure that through traffic transferred to the more-appropriate route, which connects the north Devon link road and the bypass. The schemes would be completed by 2009.