Purpose

Seeking a healthier balance between vehicles and people in Tregaron Market Square. This would free up space for greening, events and for people to walk, cycle and meet in the town centre. In the summer months the space could welcome visitors by foot, bike or car ready to ‘stop off’ and explore local businesses. This would help to boost Tregaron’s profile as a ‘gateway to the Cambrians’.

Delivery

Potential partners: Tregaron Town council, local businesses.

Indicative cost: £250 – 300,000 (see Appendix 3 for details on project cost estimates)

Description

Tregaron Market Square today

Pedestrianising or reallocating space to reduce the dominance of cars in Tregaron Market Square would allow the community to use the market area for events, outdoor seating and socialising.

The square has already been closed temporarily to cars to make space for events such as TregaROC Welsh Language Music Festival . It will also be a central focal point for the National Eisteddfod. However, reallocating space more permanently and creating a pedestrian thoroughfare would improve access and movement.

This could be achieved through interventions such as dropped kerbs and unified paving – in line with guidance from Manual for Streets. High quality seating integrated with planters could be introduced to create a welcoming area for picnics and for businesses to spill out onto the square.

Tregaron’s impressive green hilly landscapes made it popular for pony trekking holidays in the past. Today, encouraging cycling and e-bike holidays in the area could provide a way to share the local landscape with visitors. Introducing bicycle storage and supporting facilities would give local cyclists and visiting cyclists passing through the town a place to congregate or stop and explore the local businesses, cafes and shops.

By creating an explicitly bike friendly space, Tregaron could act as a ‘gateway’ for exploring outdoor pursuits in the Cambrian landscape nearby, which would boost the visitor economy. Additional facilities might include a water fountain, solar-powered charging points for e-bikes, a bike pump and shared maintenance tools.

The square is located near the public car park and as such would serve as an entrance to the town from the Aire Stop (See Project 4) on the Tregaron Town Action Plan.

Inspiration from elsewhere

Llandovery market place has retained many of its original features. It is surrounded by an attractive pub, town hall and local businesses which can spill out onto the pedestrian space. Soft planting around the monument help to ‘green’ the space.

Tregaron should explore reinstating more of the town’s market square features and expanding space for pedestrians within the historic centre.