THE deadline for a consultation into plans to make aspects of the controversial safe zones, implemented in towns across Ceredigion to encourage social distancing during the pandemic, has been extended after Ceredigion County Council said that the start date had to be pushed back on the schemes “due to unforeseen delay in the completion of physical works.”

Safe zones were first introduced across Ceredigion, in Aberystwyth, Aberaeron, New Quay, and Cardigan, in July 2020 and entailed restricted parking, vehicle access, and widened footpaths.

The council has now reintroduced some of the elements of the safe zones, including one way and prohibition of turn orders, and prohibition and restriction of waiting and loading and unloading, and are deciding whether to do so permanently.

Originally, a six-month consultation into the plans was set to end next month, but that date has been pushed to 4 January.

The council said that a proposed start date for the 18-month ‘experimental traffic orders’ has been pushed back from 10 June 2022 to 4 July due to “unforeseen delay in the completion of physical works.”

A final decision on the plans will be taken after the consultation ends, the council said.