One way is best way! (From Penarth Times)

One way is best way!

Penarth's one-way Esplanade - with its continental-style 'cafe quarter' - looks as if it's here to stay.

Vale councillors were meeting last night to discuss the year-long one-way traffic experiment at the seafront and decide whether it should be made permanent.

Councillor officers who have monitored the controversial scheme have hailed it a success and recommend that it should become a permanent fixture in the town.

At the same time they have rejected suggestions that the traffic flow should be reversed. In a report to the Vale of Glamorgan's planning committee, Environment Director Rob Quick argued that the one-way system has proved a big success.

Traders on the Esplanade were happy, the 'cafe quarter' had created an continental ambience, there were more parking spaces available on the front, and traffic speeds had fallen.

The letters of support for the scheme outweighed the objections, and many of the objections were not specific.

It could also work out cheaper to keep the one-way system. Depending on the attitude of the National Assembly, the cost of making the current system permanent could be as low as £16,000 or as high as £31,000.

But reverting to two-way traffic would cost £20,000, councillors were being told. Mr Quick rejects the idea of reversing the traffic flow.

If councillors agree to confirm the one-way system, residents will be given 28 days to object. Either way the experiment is set to end on October 2, replaced by a permanent one-way system or back to the old two-way traffic.