A REVAMP of the area around Newent’s main car park with better bus services would improve the ‘welcome’ to the town.

People are being asked to share their views on Project Benedict, a project which aims to improve transport in the town.

The proposals will see changes to bus routes, a better shelter with live passenger information, secure cycle storage and repair facility, electric vehicle charge points, a drinking water fountain along with a feature history wall highlighting the town’s heritage.

The scheme also includes tree planting, pavement improvements, increased parking spaces due to a reduction in the number of recycling bins as well as improved signposting.

The area would also be rebranded as St Benedict’s Square, St Benedict’s Square to celebrate its historical origins as the former site of a Benedictine priory.

The consultation is being led by public transport group Buses4Us and the project is supported by Newent Town Council, Stagecoach, Gloucestershire County Council, Forest of Dean District Council and Newent Cycle Group.

Buses4Us chair Clare Stone, said the improvements would help prepare the town which is expected to see more than 1,000 extra homes built over the next 20 years.

She thanked Stagecoach for their support and said they were the “lynchpin” for making it happen.

She added: “In the Local Plan development in Newent is concentrated to the south east.

“If we don’t have a good public transport connection between the town centre and those areas in place before it all starts we are going to leave those people very disconnected.”

She said Project Benedict would “lay the foundations” for future bus route improvements.

The other part of the project is to improve the “welcome to Newent”, she said.

This car park is the place where most people arrive and it is not as good as it could be. It’s not very attractive.

The Forest Council’s Cabinet member for property and projects Sid Phelps (Green, Lydbrook) said they are fully supportive of the plans.

“It’s a bit of a no-brainer,” he said. “Why wouldn’t we co-operate?

Newent Mayor Sara Hulbert said it seemed logical for all the organisations to work together.

County councillor Gill Moseley (Lib Dem, Newent) said Shire Hall was already on board with the plans for a transport hub and has a dedicated officer for the project.

“It’s certainly not something we had to persuade Gloucestershire County Council about because they are looking at it as a transport interchange.”

Funding for the project comes from the Government Bus Service Improvement Fund, contributions from the Picklenash Grove development,Gloucestershire County Council’s tree fund and levelling up funding through the Forest Council.

It is also being made possible thanks to a bequest via Buses4Us, given in memory of local resident Gary Vaughan, who died last year and always said “something needs doing with that car park”, according to the transport group. Work is expected to begin in late spring.

To find out more visit https://sites.google.com/buses4us.org/projectbenedictfeedback/