Madness of Taff Street traffic changes without notice

Welsh Liberal Democrat Councillor Mike Powell has described as "utter madness" plans by RCT Council to change the time at which traffic is allowed through Taff Street in Pontypridd without notice.
An email sent out to Councillors in the Pontypridd town area at 6.10pm on Tuesday 2nd December reads:
Dear Councillors,
In conjunction with colleagues in the Council's Regeneration team who have been liaising with the town's traders, I am pleased to inform you that Public Notices are being prepared to allow a variation to existing traffic orders to allow traffic to access Taff Street from 3pm. At the present time access is available after 4pm.
The Notices should be published tomorrow and will come into full legal effect from December 11th. In order to support the "thru at 3" initiative, we will be arranging for the bollard to be lowered from 3pm tomorrow (December 3rd) and for every day thereafter. Enforcement will be relaxed during the interim period. The police and Civil Enforcement Officers are aware of these changes.
I trust the forgoing is of benefit.
Councillor Powell said
"This is complete, utter madness. With no notice at all they are suddenly going to allow traffic to pile through Taff Street an hour earlier than usual.
"It is already chaos at 4pm when traffic suddenly rushes through the part pedestrianized street, and it is pure luck that nobody has been killed. Children especially are at risk as they are one minute able to walk with a degree of freedom down the road and the next are dodging cars trying to park everywhere.
"Now having given absolutely no advance warning to shoppers they are going to allow that an hour earlier.
"There has been no mention of this on the Council website or their twitter account, and Councillors were only notified at 6.10pm on the evening before it starts.
'Who on earth though this was a good idea? What Labour Cabinet Member gave it the go ahead - the Leader who lives in Mountain Ash?
"If they think there is justification for changing the times that traffic is allowed through then at least give people advance warning - or maybe they could even have consulted with them. Or is that expecting too much?"

Photograph geolocation.ws/