Latest News

Update from the Buckley Town Centre Working Group

Published: 22/12/2020

The Buckley Town Centre Working Group was established in 2019 to review opportunities to improve the footfall and general vitality in Buckley Town Centre and the surrounding area.

The group is made up of local traders, County Councillors, and representatives from the Town Council, supported by officers from the County Council and the Council’s Deputy Leader, in her role as portfolio holder for Streetscene and Countryside. The group has met regularly throughout 2020 and has made some excellent progress in bringing new opportunities to the Buckley area.

The work undertaken by the group so far includes:

• Producing a scheme plan for a pilot to re-open Brunswick Road to traffic during the day. This work and the planned public consultation exercise on the proposals has been put on hold until public meetings can be held safely in the New Year.
• Plans to encourage cycling and walking into the town centre, by providing dedicated cycle lanes, have been through a ‘virtual’ local public consultation exercise and received Welsh Government Active Travel funding in November. The work will also alleviate the congestion issues on Mill Lane by realigning and widening the road to accommodate the new cycle route.
• Plans for an enhanced cycleway network, covering all areas of Buckley, have been drawn up and will be the subject of a further ‘virtual’ consultation event early in the New Year.
• An exciting bid to Welsh Government’s Circular Economy Fund has been submitted to provide a community café and repair shop in the centre Buckley. This community facility will provide a welcome hub for local people in the town and will bring to life one of the buildings in the town centre that is currently empty. The outcome of the bid will be received early in the New Year.
• The group is reviewing options to put the town forward as a pilot area for the Welsh Government’s 20mph zones on the local estate roads. This will also make the roads more attractive for cyclists and encourage more people to get out of their cars and chose more environmentally friendly and healthy travel options. 

A spokesman for the group said:

“Buckley Town Councillors, local business representatives and Streetscene Officers have been working together to develop interesting and challenging projects that will promote health, wellbeing and safety, as well as improving the environment within the town.

“The group has already been successfully in securing funding that will see big improvements to our road and cycling infrastructure, and over the coming months we will be working hard to deliver these projects.

“Bids put forward for exciting initiatives such as the 20mph zones will put Buckley at the forefront of roads safety and active travel, and the development of a community hub will promote the regeneration of the town.” 

The group will continue their work in 2021 and will provide further updates as the schemes develop.