"Any barriers put across Kington ‘s high street must be managed and able to be opened,” a town councillor has said following a recent inciden.
"Any barriers put across Kington ‘s high street must be managed and able to be opened,” a town councillor has said following a recent incident
Welsh Water needed to carry out emergency repairs resulting in the closure of the high street in August, and it caused concern among local residents and retailers.
The closure was the day before the town’s Vintage Show and it caused traffic problems as visitors tried to make their way through town to the Recreation Ground and there was a medical emergency at the Co-op.
The contractors working for Welsh Water parked five trucks across the road making it difficult for even emergency vehicles to pass.
At a recent town council meeting, town clerk Liz Kelso said the road closure was authorised by Herefordshire Council but the requirement to notify local residents and the town council did not appear to have taken place.
She said: “Clearly there are lessons to be learned from the day and I have had discussions with Balfour Beatty about appropriate signage about any closure of the High Street being positioned early enough, consultation even in the event of an emergency situation and a proper recognition of the difficulties of the narrow streets and busy junctions rather than relying on Google maps for advice on road layouts.
“Balfour Beatty are holding discussions with Welsh Water to ensure that the leak identified on the day is repaired in a manner which is less disruptive to the town.”
Councillor Bob Widdowson said; “Any barriers put across Kington ‘s high street in the future must be managed and they must be able to be opened.”
A local businessman present raised concerns about planned work by National Grid.
They had been due to upgrade the electrical sub-station in Prospect Lane which would result in the closure of the lane for some weeks while work takes place and restrict parking provision for local residents and visitors
The second phase was due to see electrical cables along the High Street replaced from March 2026 onwards, with the possibility of a closure of the High Street to vehicles for some months.
But Ms Kelso said she had heard that National Grid are now not going to do the works because of difficulties in the planning process.
She said: “This is not necessarily a good thing as it would have upgraded the infrastructure for the businesses on the High Street. They have now said they will deal with issues as they arise, which is probably worse.”
