THE Strand s final designs have been developed thanks to the views of residents and businesses says Devon County Council.

THE Strand's final designs have been developed thanks to the views of residents and businesses says Devon County Council.

The main features include a vibrant space at the heart of the Strand, suitable to host markets, outdoor cafes, performances and Remembrance services, with an enhanced setting for the listed War Memorial.

The design also meets people's desire to improve safety with pedestrian routes linking the Strand and other parts of the town centre and estuary, better lighting, street furniture and the replacement of the existing bus shelter.

The scheme requires significant changes to the traffic management in the area, and the County Council Cabinet has also given approval for the Traffic Regulation Orders for the scheme to be advertised.

Traffic is to be removed from the Strand's two main sides, and Rolle Street will return to two way traffic, with the flow between Victoria Road and St Andrew's Road being reversed.

The current traffic signals at Imperial Road/Parade will be replaced with a roundabout, but there will be pedestrian refuges at every crossing point.

Public on-street parking has been reduced but disabled bays and loading areas have been provided, which will revert to on-street parking overnight. The current taxi rank will be relocated so that passengers no longer have to cross a busy road to access it, and a dedicated bus stop has been included with an enhanced bus shelter.

The scheme has taken consultation feedback comments into account as far as possible. The major changes since the May consultation include:

? An increase in the length of the taxi rank and additional rank space has been allocated within the town centre, and extra loading bays have been provided.

? More of the existing trees have been retained and over 20 new trees will be planted, while the amount of grassed and planted areas has also increased.

? A proposed water feature has been removed from the scheme, following concerns expressed about its location and future maintenance.