Westgate Street Gloucester - Street Scene Improvements

Description

The Authority has a budget of around £48,000 for delivery of this contract. The Authority has been awarded £1.9 million of the High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) funding for the Westgate Street area of the City. This is central government funding, channelled through Historic England, but administered by the Authority, and forms part of the drive to rejuvenate the High Street. The project will focus on the rejuvenation and re-use of historic buildings through targeted grant funding. The Street Scene side of the project includes improvements to the appearance of the public areas of the street. The street surface will be repaired and upgraded in key focal areas, and new seating and street furniture will be installed, with large trees and more planting. With a greener, more attractive, and uniform street scene, routes and pathways will match the high-quality public realm of the Cathedral close and the area will be made more suitable for outdoor dining, events and activities. There is a desire to involve the local community and local businesses have been involved with decision making around the new planting. A scheme for the Street has been designed by McGregor Coxall urban designers and a comprehensive layout and planting plan has been produced. The seating and planters are Corten steel with integrated timber seating and have already been procured from 'Streetlife' Netherlands and are stored in the Authority's facility at Bull Lane, just off Westgate Street. We wish to involve local gardening groups in the decisions around plant choice and in the planting up of the planters to encourage future care and maintenance. The Cathedral Quarter website can be viewed for further information about the project; www.cathedralquartergloucester.uk