Once a thriving market town, now Bridgend town centre lies desolate after extensive pedestrianisation put a choke hold on local businesses. Traders have reported:
- a drastic reduction in footfall because locals can't park close enough to access their local stores
- skipped goods deliveries because delivery drivers aren't able to unload stock, leading to higher business costs and fewer goods on the shelves.
The result has been a nosedive in local trade, shuttered shop fronts and a disintegrated community, turning Bridgend into a ghost town.
To save our market town, businesses and visitors alike have long asked to reopen certain roads through Bridgend to traffic, leaving the other roads pedestrianised to preserve disabled access and ensure locals are able to get around safely. Until now these calls have fallen on deaf ears.
We call for Bridgend County Borough Council to reopen the following roads to vehicular traffic:
- Queen Street
- Dunraven Place
- Wyndham Street
- Market Street.
