£0.75million scheme to upgrade high street
Tuesday, 30th November 2010.
A large proportion of Government cash for growth areas in St Edmundsbury this year could be spent on giving Haverhill High Street a facelift.
The council has had confirmation its growth area capital funding allocation from the Government for 2010/2011 will be just over £1million, and its growth area partnership board is proposing £750,000 be earmarked for High Street works.
It would make possible plans to pave across the section from the market square to Quakers Lane, to put vehicle barriers in at either end of the section from Quakers Lane to Eden Road, and to update the street furniture in line with the current Haverhill range.
Officers say the high street is lagging behind the rest of the town centre which has been redeveloped and upgraded by such schemes as the Cleales car park, the new cinema and car park and the Queen Street and Jubilee Walk upgrades.
In contrast, the high street was last upgraded in the early 1990s when the carriageway narrowing and paving was carried out.
A report to the growth partnership says the high street as a whole, as well as its street furniture, lighting and planting beds, are now showing obvious signs of wear and tear and physical deterioration.
"Haverhill will be seeing significant growth in its population over the next 20 years and a good quality retail offer and physical environment in the town centre are part of delivering sustainable growth in the town," the report says.
The report also says no capital funds are available from the borough or county council to the level needed to undertake an appropriately scaled scheme of works and there is no foreseeable likelihood that other public funds will become available to fund these works within a reasonable time period.
If nothing is done officers are concerned that reducing maintenance and capital budgets
will be insufficient to address the declining quality of the public realm in the High
Street over time.
The scheme which is being proposed would be designed to address future pedestrianisation and the development of the Gurteen site.
The growth area partnership meeting last week agreed the scheme and it will go to the council's cabinet for ratification.
The council's portfolio holder for Haverhill, Cllr Anne Gower, said she was 'delighted' by the idea.
She said: "It will finish off the good work done in Queen Street and give a real lift to High Street. I hipe it will encourage retailers to look again at High Street and think if St Edmundsbury is prepared to invest in it in that way then they should open a shop there."
But she also warned the improvements must look as good as possible and must take future developments like pedestrianisation and the Gurteens site into account.
"We don't want to spend money on something which has to be ripped up again when new developments come forward," she said.
The council has had confirmation its growth area capital funding allocation from the Government for 2010/2011 will be just over £1million, and its growth area partnership board is proposing £750,000 be earmarked for High Street works.
It would make possible plans to pave across the section from the market square to Quakers Lane, to put vehicle barriers in at either end of the section from Quakers Lane to Eden Road, and to update the street furniture in line with the current Haverhill range.
Officers say the high street is lagging behind the rest of the town centre which has been redeveloped and upgraded by such schemes as the Cleales car park, the new cinema and car park and the Queen Street and Jubilee Walk upgrades.
In contrast, the high street was last upgraded in the early 1990s when the carriageway narrowing and paving was carried out.
A report to the growth partnership says the high street as a whole, as well as its street furniture, lighting and planting beds, are now showing obvious signs of wear and tear and physical deterioration.
"Haverhill will be seeing significant growth in its population over the next 20 years and a good quality retail offer and physical environment in the town centre are part of delivering sustainable growth in the town," the report says.
The report also says no capital funds are available from the borough or county council to the level needed to undertake an appropriately scaled scheme of works and there is no foreseeable likelihood that other public funds will become available to fund these works within a reasonable time period.
If nothing is done officers are concerned that reducing maintenance and capital budgets
will be insufficient to address the declining quality of the public realm in the High
Street over time.
The scheme which is being proposed would be designed to address future pedestrianisation and the development of the Gurteen site.
The growth area partnership meeting last week agreed the scheme and it will go to the council's cabinet for ratification.
The council's portfolio holder for Haverhill, Cllr Anne Gower, said she was 'delighted' by the idea.
She said: "It will finish off the good work done in Queen Street and give a real lift to High Street. I hipe it will encourage retailers to look again at High Street and think if St Edmundsbury is prepared to invest in it in that way then they should open a shop there."
But she also warned the improvements must look as good as possible and must take future developments like pedestrianisation and the Gurteens site into account.
"We don't want to spend money on something which has to be ripped up again when new developments come forward," she said.
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