Port Talbot street to be one-way
ONE of Port Talbot's busiest roads is going to be made one-way from next month to drive down pollution.
Highways chiefs will block off the southern route of Water Street, leaving only buses and cyclists able to use it. It means drivers heading from the Heilbron Way roundabout to Afan Way will have to detour along the new phase of the town's peripheral distributor road.
But the move has angered local councillors, who say their objections and the views of residents were ignored. Work to install a vehicle-activated road blocker on the southern side, opposite the old Port Talbot Health Centre, will start on February 1.
Traffic heading from Afan Way into town will still be able to travel along Water Street.
The intention is to improve air quality in the area by reducing levels of nitrogen dioxide.
Neath Port Talbot Council says the changes will be reviewed after three months.
Authority leader Ali Thomas said: "This work is essential to ensure the area is not designated as an air quality management area, as this would be detrimental to the area's future development opportunities."
Aberavon councillors Tony Taylor, Jeff Dinham and John Sullivan have objected to the scheme, which they say was passed by cabinet in isolation.
"We think there should have been wider consultation," said Councillor Taylor.
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by J, Aberavon
Saturday, January 16 2010, 11:04PM
“This is another stupid idea that will yet again wreck our roads. The lights that have replaced beach hill are a nightmare, the road markings at the Bagle Brook roundabout still don't make sense and now turning one of the busiest roads in Port Talbot into a one-way road. As stated here already, turning a distance for road users from around 300m into just under a mile, increasing polution. If they need to get the new roads they built used, why don't they entice more companies to locate in the industrial park. I use Water Street every day and this change is going to be an utter nightmare for so many road users! We need to get some people with common sense working in the council!!”
by Doreen, fairfield and all.
Monday, January 11 2010, 7:25PM
“I know like mand, its not on like.
i just had a new pram for mustapha and shaniqua and all like.
gutted i am like”
by Mandy, Fairfield like.
Monday, January 11 2010, 7:24PM
“this road change will affect the annual fairfield single mothers pram race, we usually race up past blancos, pit stop in the market tavern for breakfast, then down past the job centre (must be avoided or you get DQ) then back up to fairfield.
with entrants growing by the 100s every january, this is something we werent warned about like. is nor on isit.”
by Dick Penderyn, St Mary's Graveyard Aberavon
Saturday, January 09 2010, 3:04AM
“The so called "vehicle-activated road blocker" will last two minutes - my mates will sort it out and open up Water street to two way traffic :~)”
by Dai, Aberavon
Saturday, January 09 2010, 2:59AM
“The clowns they call Councillors wasted money on this new road that no one uses, so they dream up this pollution problem, which proved them wrong approx 4 months ago. Now these clowns are diverting traffic that if they used Water Street the traveling distance would be approx 300m distance they now want to divert traffic three or four times the distance!!!! - now is that a sensible decision ? - use more fuel, MORE pollution. I'm sure that the NPT Councillors share one brain cell amoungst themselves and someone loaned it to Swansea on the day this decision was made.
Again its decisions made by fools who do not live in Port Talbot. Don't forget it was the criminal town planners who wrecked a perfectly good town centre in the 1970's - they are trying to do the same again. - Get lost fools and play town planners online - wreck a virtual town not Port Talbot - it's been messed about long enough.
Replace the Afan Lido, Finish the bowling Alley, get some more shops into the town and then go on a long holiday fools”