Work is due to start next month on trials to make Grantham town centre more friendly for cyclists and pedestrians.

As Nub News reported, Grantham is split over changes to road layouts which received narrow majority approval following consultation from Lincolnshire County Council.

The rejection of a couple of schemes by voters has, allowed Stamford to be included in future schemes, which have also received support from central government.

Coun Richard Davies, the the county council's Executive Councillor for Highways, said: "There is a solid basis of support for taking elements of the project forward in Grantham.

"Following consultation feedback we recommend this project is taken forward with the following recommendations:

· The creation of a 'Sustainable Travel Corridor' allowing buses and cycles to progress southbound on High Street. Northbound traffic would continue as is currently the case

· At St Peter's Hill the straight ahead lane to be removed from the west side and turned into a wider footway and area for outdoor retail/hospitality

· St Peter's Hill eastbound lane to be removed to continue sustainable travel corridor

-breaking into filter lanes opposite Belvoir estate agents

· The closure of Guildhall Street at the junction of High Street allowing access for deliveries but on Guildhall Street but no access to/from High Street · Westgate area proposals to be dropped with monitoring during first 6 months of ETO to consider installation of temporary give way islands if traffic needed to be slowed further." Though the opening of Grantham's southern relief road in a couple of years is expected to change town centre traffic patterns, Lincolnshire County Council is keen to get moving. Grantham's town centre and shopping facilities may also be affected by the two designer outlets, planned at either end of the A1 by-pass. Coun Davies said: "We are hoping to get the trial in place in the next few weeks." "This scheme is funded by the government's active travel scheme which has to be started now, there's no reason not to at least trial things now." "The reality is we know what will happen if we continue 'as is,' the High Street will continue to struggle and the downward spiral will not stop. "We need to think differently and reducing vehicles access has worked well in Stamford and Newark so why not try it here?" Coun Davies assures Grantham that the county council is keen to avoid the traffic congestion and chaos as seen in parts of London, which has led residents to be in uproar against the 'low traffic neighbourhood' imposed by local councils with little or no public consultation. Coun Davies added: "That's partly why we have done the consultation and will be monitoring and working with residents and businesses to try and make this a success."