Parking provision is being put back into Salmon Parade in Bridgwater as part of a review of the Celebration Mile regeneration project.
Somerset Council has committed to a review of parts of the regeneration scheme, completed last year, looking at potentially reinstating parking on Salmon Parade and reviewing the direction of traffic movements on both Salmon Parade and East Quay, while prioritising pedestrian safety at the Eastover Town Bridge junction.
A review of the one-way system is nearly complete and a report will be shared with Council Members, wider stakeholders and the public shortly, while a scheme to restore two sections of parking spaces on Salmon Parade is getting underway later this month.
Overnight works on Salmon Parade are scheduled from 7pm on Monday, 18 May to 6am on Wednesday, 20 May. The road will be closed each night during this period to allow removal of existing markings and installation of new lining, but access will be maintained for residents and businesses.
The Celebration Mile scheme was funded by the Government as part of the Bridgwater Town Deal and aims to enhance the visitor experience in key areas of the town and improve cycling and walking provision. It was delivered by Somerset Council having been designed, consulted and approved by the former Sedgemoor District Council and endorsed by the Bridgwater Town Deal Board.
Councillor Mike Rigby, Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Economic Development, Planning & Assets:
We have listened to the concerns of businesses and local people and as a result we are reinstating these parking places as part of a review of the project.
We committed to doing this by early summer and we are ahead of schedule in this respect.We’ve always said the implementation of changes needs to be evidence-based and we will be sharing our findings with local stakeholders regarding the wider question of potential changes to the one-way system very shortly, having collected data and impact assessments on different scenarios.
A full report on review of elements of the Celebration Mile will be presented to the Council’s Executive Committee on 3 June.
