Town road closure plan abandoned

The road would have been partially closed as part of the plans

Protesters fighting controversial plans to close one of Carmarthen's main roads have claimed victory in their campaign.

Carmarthenshire Council said it no longer needed to pedestrianise St Catherine Street to accommodate a £50m shopping development in the town.

Opponents had been given leave to challenge the move in the High Court.

The authority said the lay-out of the centre, which includes a multi-screen cinema, had been redesigned to meet the concerns of residents.

Campaigners had demanded a referendum over closing the road and in July a judge at the civil justice court in Cardiff gave them leave to appeal to the High Court.

They claimed daytime road closure of the road, used by an estimated 9,000 cars each day, would bring congestion to smaller streets in the town.

It's been a long campaign but I think common sense has prevailed at last Peter Hughes Griffiths

The shopping development, known as St Catherine's Walk, is being anchored by Debenhams.

Council chief executive Mark James said the court action was no longer necessary.

"As we have been saying for some time now, we have been working quietly with Debenhams asking the developers to design the scheme to meet a number of different requirements," he said.

"The developers have finally managed to do this in a way that leaves St Catherine Street open."

Councillor Peter Hughes Griffiths, who opposed the closure, said campaigners were "thrilled" with Wednesday's announcement.

"It's been a long campaign but I think common sense has prevailed at last," he said.

"I think that most people support the development - not only does it bring more commerce to the town, there is the leisure aspect as well - but there were great difficulties with the closure of the road."