Most people visiting a county council information day in Stafford have welcomed plans, including a 20mph zone, to cut congestion in Stafford town centre.

Those attending the event in the Oddfellows Hall yesterday and today are being invited to have their say on the £1 million improvements that include making much of the town centre subject to the 20mph limit and creating new one-way roads.

The highways department’s project manager for Stafford district, John Commins, said the scheme would be revised if necessary when the public responses were taken into account.

Those attending are being asked if there are other improvements they would like to see and what parts of the scheme they like or dislike.

Mr Commins said that most of the feedback so far had been fairly positive.

“There are one or two concerns which you always get. One of them is about the impact on trade but the idea is to create a safer environment for pedestrians while allowing in private and public transport,” he said.

It is hoped that local bus services will be speeded up by a reduction in congestion and there will also be improved deliveries to businesses.

Alongside the improvements in the town centre the scheme will also see the council “tweaking” traffic signals across the town in an effort to improve the flow of traffic on the approaches to the town centre. Yesterday a traffic census was being carried out on the A449 at Acton Gate as part of the advance work on that.

The 20mph zone would take in an area bounded by North Walls, South Walls, Bridge Street, Mill Bank, Tenterbanks, Broad Eye, Chell Road and Gaol Square.

Mill Bank would become one way from Water Street to Bridge Street, and Water Street and a small section of Tenterbanks would also be one-way. The idea is to prevent Mill Bank and South Walls being used as a short cut through the town centre.

In Bridge Street the road surface and pavements would be paved and new cast iron bollards and flower containers would be introduced. A new “entry feature” is proposed for the junction with Mill Bank and South Walls.

Philip Gill, of Meadowbank Walk, Parkside, was among visitors yesterday.

“I generally approve of the council scheme. It will improve the town centre and reduce congestion,” he said. His wife Marjorie said that the scheme also needed to do something to stop cyclists riding through the pedestrianised areas of the town centre and putting pedestrians at risk.

“They whizz past you at speed,” she added.

The couple said they agreed with the 20mph plans for traffic.

Great Haywood resident Lynne Gibson, who works in the town centre, also said the 20mph zone was a good idea, but she said she was concerned that access from the east of the town would still be a problem .

“The changes will make it difficult to access Mill Street where I park and work coming from my side of the town.

“I fear you will get caught up in congestion in Newport Road by Tesco and the station,” she said.

The town centre plans can also be viewed online at www.staffordshire.gov.uk and comments can be made there as well.

The closing date for questionnaires to be returned is November 5.

Work on the project is scheduled to begin early in the new year.