Beige coloured tarmac is likely to be used to create a ‘town centre’ in Kington

The town is using £200,000 of public realm funding for work to the town’s pavements, road surfaces and signage.

The idea to colour the road surface adjacent to the Market Hall to delineate a town centre and shared space was proposed many years ago by Derek Lovejoy Associates in their town improvement study.

The idea was taken up again recently but town councillors were told at the last meeting that the Mill Street section would not be possible because a full road closure would be needed overnight and apart from all of the residents, the Co-op and buses, the fire station and the police would not be able to respond to emergency call outs

The High Street and Church Street can be done in two halves and it was suggested that the coloured section be taken it a little further up Church Street as a traffic calming measure. The cost is about £25,000.

At February’s meeting, Deputy Mayor Councillor Martin Woolford said the Chamber of Trade has some concerns about whether the coloured tarmac would be reinstated ‘like for like’ by any contractors that may need to dig it up.

Chamber members were concerned that other it would result in a messy patchwork of surfaces.

Herefordshire Council has said the new coloured surface would be subject to a S58 agreement which allows a local authority to protect a street from any planned works except for emergency works for up to five years.

The New Roads and Streets Act 1991 also places a duty on contractors to reinstate the street with any specification required by the local authority granting the licence for the work.

The town council would also be responsible for ensuring the authority meets that requirement.

He said the colour options are red, yellow and beige (buff) but they had been recommended to go for buff as it identifies the area well and the surface lasts longer.

Kington Chamber of Trade members were in favour of buff being used.

Councillor Woolford said they could also look at information signs at the entry points to the town giving people information on why they should stop in town and what they can do.

The council agreed to obtain some costs and ideas about what should be included on the signs. The Chamber of Trade Chairman Emma Hancocks will be co-opted onto the working party for those discussions.