The ban on traffic in Bath’s Kingsmead Square, which has been welcomed by many businesses in the area, could be extended until midnight under a plan being considered by Bath & North East Somerset Council.
It is asking for feedback on a proposal for a trial for up to 18 months of a scheme to restrict traffic using the square, pictured, between 11am and midnight, before considering whether the restrictions should be made permanent.
Temporary 10am to 10pm access limits between were introduced in June 2020 to aid help with social distancing and make the busy square safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
Since then visitors have been able to shop and socialise in a traffic-free environment, with 1,500 sq m of road space reclaimed from use by vehicles.
The square was further enhanced in October 2020 when Bath’s first ‘parklets’ were introduced, pictured below, helping create a more European-style café culture and al fresco dining.
The council, which has identified Kingsmead Square as one of the city’s priority areas for improvement, said to carry out the trial, the temporary traffic regulation orders (TTROs) originally brought in for social distancing will need to be replaced with
Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders (ETROs).
These will now be the subject of the six-month consultation running until July 27.
Council deputy leader and cabinet member for economic development & resources, Cllr Richard Samuel, said: “Kingsmead Square is an important space at the heart of Bath’s entertainment area but it is also a busy arrival point for the city centre.
“We are committed to making it a cleaner and greener place to enjoy by extending the vehicle access restriction with a view to making it permanent, which would allow even more improvements to be made than there have been already.
“The feedback we’ve received from residents and businesses since restrictions were first introduced shows us that trade has benefitted and visitors have enjoyed the traffic-free environment.
“To support businesses further in making the most of the night-time economy, we are proposing an alteration to the hours to restrict vehicles until midnight.”
Under the proposals, only the following modes of transport will be permitted around Kingsmead Square between 11am and midnight:
- Walking
- Cycling
- Emergency Vehicles (including private ambulances and RSPCA vehicles on call)
- Blue Badge holders can use disabled bays on Westgate Buildings. There are also four disabled bays in Kingsmead Square Car Park.
A feedback report on the consultation will be published later in the summer. The council will then make a decision on whether the proposals should be assessed for a longer period (up to a further 12 months), modified and made permanent, or not to proceed with the scheme.
The council is aiming to use part of the £1.235m Love our High Streets grant funding it has received from the West of England Combined Authority to make further improvements to Kingsmead Square.
