Route 1 serves Ysgol Gwenffrwd County Primary School and St Winefride’s Catholic Primary School while Route 2 serves Ysgol Treffynnon and Ysgol Maes Y Felin.

The proposals are informed by a study undertaken by consultants during 2022 which identified key routes to each school based on where pupils live as well as site visits, observations of issues faced by people walking and cycling, and discussions with some of the schools.

Visit the public consultation

Route 1 - Ysgol Gwenffrwd and St Winefride’s

Route 1 follows the A5026 from Holway Road to the centre of Holywell, joining Whitford Street and Heol Fawr through the town centre. The route includes spurs connecting to Holywell Leisure Centre and up to Victoria Place via the A5026. The route is currently hostile for walking and cycling with wide junctions that make it difficult for pedestrians to cross safely and a lack of parking for parents taking children to school. The proposals aim to improve conditions for walking and cycling by reducing traffic speeds, improving pedestrian priority and widening footways.

Key interventions proposed for Route 1 include:

• Tightening side roads and adding dropped kerbs and tactile paving to make it easier and safer for pedestrians to cross;
• Footway widening on the northern side of the A5026 to create more comfortable conditions for walking;
• Reducing carriageway widths along the route to encourage a reduction in vehicle speeds and improve visibility;
• The designation of a formal park & stride site at the St Winefride’s Church car park including a new pedestrian link to/from the car park;
• Removal of on-street parking on Holway Road and potential implementation of parking restrictions to prevent misuse;
• Permit holder parking in vicinity of schools and refresh of existing parking restrictions;
• A zebra crossing on New Road close to the junction with A5026 Rue Street Gregorie (subject to traffic counts and modelling);
• Upgrading the existing uncontrolled crossing to a zebra crossing and the introduction of planting/ rain gardens and parking restrictions outside Ysgol Gwenffrwd and St Winefride’s schools to encourage slower speeds and make it easier to cross the road;
• Tightening of the junction at Whitford Street/ A5026 and the enhancement of existing planting;
• Tightening of the Holway Road/ Whitford Street (A5026) junction (subject to vehicle tracking) and introduction of planting/rain gardens to provide a gateway to slow vehicle speeds and prevent pavement parking near the fire station;
• An improved pedestrian route between Heol Fawr (High Street) and Holywell Leisure Centre;
• An improved pedestrian route across Victoria Place to existing signalised crossings.

View the Route 1 map

Route 2 - Ysgol Treffynnon and Ysgol Maes Y Felin

Route 2 provides a route to Ysgol Treffynnon and Ysgol Maes Y Feli from A5026 Whitford Street, Rue St Gregoire and Pen-y-Maes Road. It connects to the Route 1 proposals at Whitford Street and Victoria Place. Pen-y-Maes Road is a key route to the schools but conditions for pedestrians and cyclists are currently poor with narrow or missing footways and wide junctions. The proposals include two new signalised crossings and improvements to side road junctions along the route to make it safer to walk, wheel and cycle.

The interventions proposed for Route 2 include:

• Tightening side roads and adding dropped kerbs and tactile paving along Pen-Y-Maes Road to make it easier and safer for pedestrians to cross;
• Introducing two new signalised crossings on the A5026 and Pen-Y-Maes Road to make it easier and safer for pedestrians to cross the road;
• Removing guardrail on the A5026 near the Holywell Town Council building and the New Road junction to reflect the reduction in the speed limit from 30mph to 20mph;
• The addition of dropped kerbs and an implied footway across existing recessed parking on Pen-Y-Maes Road to the west of the Pen-Y-Maes Road/Bryn-Y-Gwynt junction.

It is anticipated that the proposed improvements will enable more pupils to walk, wheel and cycle to school as well as supporting other local journeys by foot and cycle, with obvious benefits for public health and the environment.

View the Route 2 map