GLOUCESTERSHIRE County Council, working at the request of Cheltenham Borough Council, is currently consulting on proposed changes to the roads within Cheltenham town centre.

The deadline for views is fast approaching.

The package of changes, known as the Cheltenham Transport Plan, is designed to support improvements to the town centre by making it easier for people to walk, cycle and use public transport.

The plan will restore two-way traffic to sections of the current one-way system, which will make access to car parks easier from the town outskirts.

By reducing traffic in the heart of the town it will be possible to improve the town centre, reduce traffic emissions and create a valuable new public space at Boots Corner.

The consultation will run until Sunday 1st September 2013 and is the next stage in a process of planning started some years ago.

Since then, the two councils have been considering how best to manage town centre traffic and where to find the money to make the changes so that the project can be delivered.

The funds are now available – through government grants and the sale of council land – and work on the project has now moved to the next level of detail.

Questionnaires have already been sent to town centre residents, and anyone can comment online at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/cheltenhamtp<http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/cheltenhamtp>.

Ten consultation events were held in July with staff on hand to discuss the proposals and provide more information.  A total of about 500 people attended these events.

Once the public have expressed their opinions and the results have been analysed, the two councils will decide if any changes are needed before agreeing a final version of the plan.

The final plan will then be subject to a formal traffic order consultation prior to a decision by the county council, which is responsible for the town’s roads, probably in the autumn of 2013.

Further information can be found at www.gloucestershire.gov.