CHANGES to roads around market towns in Herefordshire will start being introduced from tomorrow (Monday, August 3).

The changes, as part of Herefordshire Council's emergency active travel response, are to make walking and cycling more appealing while ensuring there is enough space to socially distance.

While measures were introduced in Hereford from July 27, such as the part closures of King Street and Bridge Street, similar initiatives in the market towns will follow.

In Kington, the council backtracked from initially suggesting the closure of High Street after a complaint from the fire service.

RELATED NEWS: Herefordshire Council defends decision to close roads

Instead, traffic calming measures will be put into place in High Street, as well as reducing the speed limit from 30mph to 20mph on roads across the town.

Cabinet member for infrastructure and transport councillor John Harrington said: "Kington [high street] is not going to be closed now because we had feedback from the fire service that they would struggle with access, their fire station is in quite a weird place in Kington as it's tucked down a side street.

"Blocking off the high street would be difficult for them, so we're not going to have a physical closure which some people want and some people don't.

"It's interesting that even now we've got some people lobbying us to close it.

"But we've sort of said, I've taken the decision, that we will have a chicane slowing people down and we will have the 20 miles per hour zone limit and explain to everyone there's pedestrians in the street and we'll have to rely on goodwill and people progressing slowly."

Similar measures will be introduced in Ross-on-Wye, with Broad Street remaining open to vehicles.

"Ross is the same, we're not going to close it, but we are going to be taking out some parking so they [walkers] can step into passing bays," It's Our County councillor John Harrington added.

"Instead of losing all parking or closing the street, we've allowed access points for people to walk into."

There will also be a 20mph speed limit on several roads in the south Herefordshire town, including parts of Millpond Street, Smallbrook Road and Gloucester Road.

"Exactly the same thing is happening in Bromyard," Coun Harrington added.

"Probably more over in Bromyard because you couldn't step off quite a narrow road with a car parked there so we've taken out some car parking spots again."

In the town footpaths will be widened at double yellow lines to support existing parking restrictions in High Street and New Road. Some car parking bays will also be removed where queueing is preventing social distancing safely.

In Ledbury, Woodleigh Road will be one-way to allow for a pedestrian walkway. Most roads will also see a 20mph speed limit imposed between the A417 and the railway line.

And finally in Leominster, there will be a timed closure, except cycle, on High Street, Victoria Street, Corn Street and Corn Square from 10am until 1pm Mondays to Saturdays.

The 20mph speed limit will apply to the town centre.