An Aberystwyth Town Council-led project will spend up to £60,000 on launching a feasibility study to investigate whether banning cars from Aberystwyth town centre is a “realistic possibility.”

Prosiect Aber, led by the town council, Aberystwyth Business Club and Menter Aberystwyth, has launched a tender to find a company to undertake a “pedestrianisation scoping and feasibility report” for the town.

“This project is about understanding if and how pedestrian areas could work in Aberystwyth,” the group said.

“We’re commissioning a report to see if this is a good idea and how it might be done.”

Moves to pedestrianise Aberystwyth were mooted following the extensive changes during the coronavirus pandemic to create ‘safe-zones’ which saw new one-way systems installed and widened pavements to promote outside space.

A host of those changes were made permanent last year.

Correspondence received on those changes during consultations – both for and against – said the changes would be a “first step” towards pedestrianisation of Aberystwyth town centre.

At the time Ceredigion County Council said that “is an aspiration to work closely with the town council regarding Place Plans to provide permanent enhancement of measures that assist personal mobility and encourage Active and Sustainable Travel,” which would likely include pedestrianisation.

Pedestrianisation of Aberystwyth town centre was also a central plank of a Ceredigion County Council document released in 2022 to create ‘green corridors’ in the town as part of a strategy to ‘greening’ Ceredigion’s six major towns.

In tender documents released in March, Prosiect Aber, funded by the UK Government’s Levelling Up fund and administered by Cynnal y Cardi at Ceredigion County Council, said it would spend up to £60,000 on the study.

“We are seeking an independent investigation and report on whether pedestrianisation would be beneficial to Aberystwyth town centre,” the group said.

“As a Partnership we have no views either way and are simply seeking an objective and neutral impact assessment.

“Questions include, but are not limited to, is pedestrianisation a realistic possibility for Aberystwyth? “What would be the economic, social and environmental benefits of pedestrianisation (if any)?

“What are the projected negative impacts of pedestrianisation in Aberystwyth?

“Would partial pedestrianisation, pedestrian focus or pedestrian priority be good options for the town, and if so, where?

“If a phased approach to pedestrianisation is a workable option for the town please provide examples of quick wins, medium and long term projects.”

Aberystwyth mayor Cllr Kerry Ferguson said: “Prosiect Aber are seeking an independent investigation and report as to whether pedestrianisation would be beneficial or not to Aberystwyth town centre.

“As a partnership, Prosiect Aber has no views either way and are seeking an objective and neutral impact assessment.

“We often see pedestrianisation featured in Place Plans and local strategies - often referred to but without any current information as to what might or might not work.

“We hope a report on this scale will inform local strategies and Place Plan fairly, and could also lead to a much called for parking strategy and review in town.”