AN online public meeting is being held tomorrow night (Thursday, July 2) in a bid to make social distancing more effective at Newcastle Emlyn.

Organisers hope that money allocated to Carmarthenshire County Council in the form of a Covid-19 recovery fund could be used to improve the situation for pedestrians in the town centre.

The main categories for which funding is being considered are:

  • Routes to school
  • Reallocation of road space
  • Quick wins in rural towns
  • Minor works
  • Public transport
  • Parking
  • Cycle friendly infrastructure
  • Public realm social distancing

The meeting is due to be held at 7pm through Zoom to discuss the possibilities and one of the organisers said: “We feel proposals could meet quite a few of those categories. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

“The pavements are too narrow in much of the town to safely enable the prescribed social distancing. Even at one metre distancing, much of Emlyn will struggle and pedestrians will need to step into the road space to comply.

“Meanwhile the traffic, now returning to near normal levels, often thunders through the centre despite the 20mph restriction.

“We feel that there may be ways that the town could be tweaked to make it safer for social distancing. Thoughts involve the creation of a single lane of traffic to coincide with where the pavements are narrowest. A traffic light could be stationed at each end to control the flow.

“This would allow the pavements on both sides of the road to be widened. There would be a traffic light just before the alley-way adjacent to Philip Ling Estate Agents and another on the clock tower side of Harrisons.

“This is just a suggestion. Maybe you have a better idea? Maybe the above idea needs tweaking? How would this affect the zebra crossing location? This would mean no cars could park outside the GS News and the Co-op; could we provide disabled parking outside Premier? Would the council agree to one hour free parking in the main car park?

“These are extraordinary times, and solutions which would not normally be considered may be acceptable at this moment.

“We would all benefit from a safer environment in the centre of Emlyn. This is our town; our opinion matters.

“Let's tell the council what we want, what we need."

To join the online Zoom meeting, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88694422979

Meeting ID: 886 9442 2979 (there is no password).

If you have never joined a Zoom meeting before, please try to join 10 minutes early.

If you cannot make it but have something to say, call 07790 474609.