Station Square in Paignton is set to re-open as normal to help visitors find their way around as restrictions ease over the coming weeks.

With more people looking to holiday in the UK this year and bookings already on the rise, the successful pilot scheme at Station Square in Paignton with its temporary barriers and signage, is to make way for uncluttered roads and easy to follow signage, which will particularly benefit new visitors to the Riviera.

The temporary scheme, trialed from September last year and implemented by SWISCo on our behalf, was part of the government ‘emergency active travel’ fund and enabled temporary or experimental traffic layouts to improve walking and cycling facilities. It reduced road traffic to one lane and was monitored to assess the potential effect on traffic through the Square.

Mark Smith, Chief Operating Officer of SWISCo said: “After a year of restrictions and lockdowns, along with a predicted increase in visitor numbers this summer, it is vital we get our visitor experience right. Our residents adapted to the scheme and I am grateful for their patience and support. Now, with a longer-term plan tested and proven, we need to focus on those new to the Bay.

“The experimental traffic scheme for Station Square demonstrated how a long-term plan with more pedestrian space could work. It was particularly important to monitor traffic levels when they were at a more typical level and during the autumn when traffic levels returned, we were able to effectively monitor the layout which showed little or no impact on through traffic.”

Two other temporary schemes implemented under the same fund, on Marine Drive, Paignton and Torbay Road, Torquay will remain as these are considered helpful to pedestrians to socially distance themselves in these busy footway areas.

The scheme is due to be removed in early April.