Town council to consider town centre 'future consultation'

Town councillors will consider there response next week to a consultation that could see temporary socially distanced spaces made more permanent in Newtown town centre.

Newtown Town Council will consider a report from Powys County Council into its future of town centres consultation at a meeting on Monday.

The consultation states the county council wants to encourage people back into town centres. It believes current temporary measures for social distancing in town centres throughout the county could help.

This would be in addition to other measures.

The consultation said: "What these temporary measures have done is highlight that town centres canevolve and make use of the highway space differently.

"The pandemic has given rise to an element of café culture being experienced within our towns and anenthusiasm for embracing our outside areas, which is something that might be considered appropriate to retain post pandemic restrictions.

"We are aware that high streets have changed over the recent years and thepandemic has accelerated that change by several years, especially with greaterreliance on online shopping etc. We must therefore seek to address that changeand aid the recovery of our town centres by making them destinations that peoplewant to visit, with resilient and viable businesses and strong communities."

The consultation comes as MyNewtown reported Newtown town centre was ranked the 10th worst in the UK by a retail consultancy.

The town council will discuss the consultation and report before considering a response.

Responses to the consultation have to be made by 18 July.