CHANGES to the temporary pedestrianisation of Burnham-on-Sea town centre are set to come into force today (July 20).

On Monday (July 13) councillors from Burnham and Highbridge Weekly News voted to make changes to the layout of the temporary pedestrianisation including allowing more vehicles into the town.

Currently the town’s High Street is closed from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday’s and there are one way systems in place on a number of streets in the town including Chapel Street and Cross Street.

But under the changes the council has voted to approve parts of the town which have been temporarily pedestrianised will open up to traffic.

The revised system will retain two specified sections of High Street pedestrianisation, but all other areas and side roads revert back to the traffic movement that applied prior to the street safety measures.

The changes are as follows:

1. The pedestrianisation between College Street and Regent street will remain. The pavements from College Street to Regent Street are narrow and there can be queues of pedestrians spanning the road across to the former job centre.

2. The section of High Street between College Street and Cross Street will be opened to traffic, with two-way traffic returning to College Street west and Cross Street. The pavements in the College Street to Cross Street section are wide enough to manage social distancing.

3. The High Street section between Cross Street and Adam Street remains pedestrianised and closed to traffic. The pavements in this section are narrow in places, especially outside the town’s big Peacocks store.

4. The High Street section between Adam street and Abingdon Street will be open to traffic, with both side streets returning to two-way traffic. The pavements in the South of the High Street are wide enough to manage social distancing.

5. The temporary pedestrianised areas should remain in place from 9am to 5:30pm.

Sam Winter, town clerk for Burnham and Highbridge Town Council, said: "The meeting agreed to request that the Highways authority adjusts the pedestrianisation and associated measures to try to better serve the safe access needs of town centre residents, shoppers and businesses."

The Highways authority has confirmed the County Council is in a position to fund the newly revised scheme under the Somerset Active Travel fund until the end of August, which is beyond the original specified end date of August 7.

The town council resolved to keep the scheme under review.