Cardiff's St. Mary Street will not be pedestrianised until 2010

Cardiff's famous St Mary Street will not be pedestrianised until 2010 at the earliest, under plans for the city centre being developed in County Hall.

The timescale is part of a blueprint being drawn up by officers to deliver the sustainable city travel project developed between the city council and the Assembly Government.

It would see the part-pedes- trianised traffic experiment, which began as a nine-month trial in August 2007, continue until next year.

Cardiff council’s transport executive Delme Bowen said work could not begin until the council showed its system could work and the Assembly freed up the next tranche of funding for the city centre traffic shake-up next year.

Work being carried out this year will include reopening the bottom end of the historic thoroughfare from Wood Street this July, although traffic coming down Westgate Street will be barred from turning left to access the road.

Traders are happy with the plans, but remain angry at damage they say has been done to their businesses since the experiment began!