Plans to revitalise Newport High Street and the surrounding areas will be showcased in the next three weeks - but none of the road layout changes will happen after a borough council u-turn.
Models and posters presenting how Newport will look after the work will go on display to the public in mid-November, but there will be no public consultation on the plans - which are Telford &?Wrekin Council recommendations.
Original proposals, part of the town’s £1.5m regeneration purse, included the removal of the town’s central roundabout and the reversing of the one-way system down St Mary Street.
Those ideas were met with a barrage of criticism with many branding them ‘a waste of money.’
And those ideas have now been scrapped.
Town and borough councillor Eric Carter confirmed the proposals will not include alternations to town centre roads.
Mr Carter said: “It will take around four to five months to complete the work on the footpaths, but we’ve decided against further impediments on traffic.
“I can’t say too much else because it would take away from what we will be doing in November.
“But it’s basically work to improve the footpaths, improve signage and to add new street furniture.
“Newport is already a great place to live, but we want to make it even better and make it a great place for tourism as well.”
Work could start as soon as early 2010, with a possible completion date of December.
Mr Carter said: “We are aware we need to deliver. Talking is cheap - people want to see action.
“We’ve listened to the Chamber of Commerce, the public and the regeneration partnership in the past months and these plans will show what we are actually going to do on the High Street, town centre and canal as a result of those discussions.
“I must stress that the plans will not be open for public discussions. They will be recommendations for deliberation based on what the public said in March.”
He added that the plans were not set in stone and could still be changed if a suitable alternative option was put forward.
“It’ll give the public the opportunity to see what we’ll actually be getting.
“There’s been some scepticism, understandably, but I am confident that it will make Newport a much better place and a more attractive place. Our aim is to make Newport the leading market town in Shropshire.”
