Pedestrianised town centre areas, more safe access for cyclists, better walking routes and greener spaces for six of Ceredigion’s town centres could all be on the cards in works that will cost tens of millions of pounds, a new document outlines.

The document: A Strategy for Greening 6 Ceredigion Towns, which sets out to boost Green and Blue (GBI) infrastructure in Aberystwyth, Aberaeron, Cardigan, Lampeter, Llandysul and Tregaron, was produced earlier this year.

Five projects are mooted for each of the six towns in the document, seen by the Cambrian News.

The document says: “At the local level, there is significant ambition and support for making Ceredigion greener and more resilient.

Establishing a nature trail, introducing nature spaces as part of Aberaeron’s new sea defences and reallocating space to walkers, cyclists and wheelers, are some of the projects outlined in the greening scheme for the town.

Aberaeron’s Wild Coast flagship project – estimated to cost between £500,000 and £600,000 – aims to “improve Aberaeron’s coastal biodiversity by introducing coastal planting and space for nature as part of the seafront flood defence scheme.”

“Improving the biodiversity of the seafront and activating the social potential of the space would provide an important wellbeing resource for the local community,” documents said.

A project to extend Aberaeron’s walking and cycling routes would see a “connected network of traffic-free, ‘access for all’ routes between the town centre and waterfront.”

“Walking and cycling through the town itself could be improved by reallocating space to walkers, cyclists and wheelers,” documents said.

“This could include segregated cycle paths and wider pavements on busy roads and better maintenance of ‘back routes’ through the town.”

Elsewhere, a joined up riverside and woodland nature trail would be established, and also help create a “green and blue corridor” for local wildlife; while ‘urban greening’ will be introduced in the town centre, with documents saying that “the one-way system currently being trialled in Aberaeron has created opportunities to enhance the quality and walkability of public space in the town centre.”

“Reallocating space more permanently would improve access and movement through the town,” documents added.

Environmentally friendly drainage systems being installed “to improve Aberaeron’s resilience to surface water flooding and support biodiversity in priority areas of the town”, has also been suggested.

Scheme documents said that there is “very limited provision of cycling networks” in Aberaeron, and that “topography around Aberaeron constrains future development and puts pressure on open land for development and presents a challenge for providing expansive areas of Green and Blue Infrastructure.”

Visit the Cambrian News website tomorrow for a look at what’s in store for another of Ceredigion’s town centres