Llantrisant wall repairs blamed for driving away trade

Businesses accept the wall needs to be repaired, but are worried visitors will avoid the town

Businesses are worried a traffic diversion is driving away customers, while they struggle to recover Covid losses.

Work on a retaining wall in Llantrisant's high street, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, means cars cannot access the town from nearby Talbot Green.

A one-way system has been introduced, which is expected to last four months.

Rhondda Cynon Taf council said the wall needed to be repaired as a matter of urgency.

Business owners said they accepted the wall was "dangerous", but were worried about their survival.

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Dean Powell, manager of the Guildhall heritage and visitor centre, had concerns about the timing of the work.

"We needed to have the work done, the wall is incredibly dangerous, but a number of businesses are concerned about the way the one-way system has been introduced," he said.

"For us as businesses to survive over the summer we need to encourage more people into Llantrisant and this isn't what this system is doing.

"It's stopping people coming in through the most popular and well-known ways into the town."

Visitors currently have to divert either through Beddau or Llantrisant Business Park and over Llantrisant Common.

'Another blow to the business'

Dean Powell is concerned for businesses' survival as they try to recover losses from the last two years

Mr Powell, who is also the clerk of Llantrisant Town Trust, said the town was very dependent on visitors during the summer, for events such as weddings, the summer fête for the Queen's Jubilee, a medieval fête and outdoor opera concerts.

"We rely on visitors coming through the door. That's going to impact us, particularly because we only opened in August 2019 and within six months we shut down for almost two years with Covid," he said.

"Now we're finally trying to get back on our feet, this has come as another blow to the business and it's really going to affect us."

Other businesses share Mr Powell's concerns.

Joy Saunders, who has an artist's studio in the Model Craft Centre in Llantrisant, said: "It seems as if they're not thinking about the impact it's having, it's just... get the wall sorted and they haven't thought about the consequences."

Sean Chick, from Chick Leathers, said: "We were given a day's notice about the system being enforced.

"The amount of time the work is going to take is going to have a big impact because a lot of people don't know the other ways up here. I haven't seen anyone at all since last Wednesday."

Gill Stanbridge, from Happydashery, said: "There's been a marked decline in footfall since they put the one-way system in.

"People are confused and local residents say it's having an impact on them going to other places. If it worked the other way and you could come up the hill, I think it would be better."

Connie Evans said the diversion was making life difficult for people who rely on buses

Connie Evans, who lives in the town, said it had made life more difficult for pensioners who depend on buses, because on their way back to Llantrisant they now have to change in Beddau.

"The people that are on the bus have to get off at Beddau and wait for another bus to come down this way again and they're only every half hour," she said.

"The problem is getting from Talbot [Green] back. If you're going down there with your shopping you don't want to be hanging round on buses and getting off and on with loads of shopping in your hand."

Bryan Swallow lives opposite where the work is being done and said he felt it was essential. However, he added he was concerned about the impact on local businesses.

"The wall was moving way from the foundations and the whole thing was unsafe, and living right opposite it I'm very concerned about what was happening.

"The impact on the town is worsened by the introduction of the one-way system. The route in is laborious so the impact is huge on businesses, it's like a ghost town at times."

However, he did not think four months was a long enough time to complete the work.

"I think the issue is it's a very unsafe situation and they're learning a bit as they go on and they can only do it in sections because that wall is supporting the whole of Church Street.

"I can understand why it's taking that time... it's got to be done in stages, it is unsafe."

'Time-consuming'

A one-way-system is in place in the town while works are carried out

A spokesperson for Rhondda Cynon Taf council said: "The council responded swiftly following the deterioration of the large wall, which requires a complex scheme to partially rebuild and repair the structure as a matter of urgency."

They added it was a "time-consuming process", but said the alternative would be to demolish and rebuild the structures, "which would likely require a full road closure and substantially longer works duration".

After an initial traffic light system, a one-way system was deemed to be the "least disruptive" option for traffic, they said.

"We understand businesses' concerns, and officers are available to help as best they can with any issues encountered."

The council spokesperson added that there would be a review of the current bus provision, following feedback.