More Towns Follow Ashford
Where Ashford leads in
urban planning and street design, others follow – that seems to be
the message after it was revealed that more than a dozen UK towns
are also adopting shared space concepts to help improve their
streetscapes.
Last month it was reported that Staines, Newcastle-under-Lyme,
Hereford and Edbinburgh were all considering redesigning their
urban streets using the principles of shared space which have been
successfully introduced in Ashford over the past year.
Now further research has shown that more than 12 other UK cities
and towns are also interested in adopting the shared space
concept.
These include Oxford, the Suffolk towns of Felixstowe and
Ipswich, Poynton and Macclesfield in Cheshire, Torquay and
Babbacombe in Devon, Stromness on Orkney, two separate locations in
Blackpool, the Essex town of Colchester and various sites in
Dorset.
Local authorities in most of these locations are believed to be
in the early stages of design development as part of local
regeneration projects; however Blackpool Council is about to begin
construction work on a shared space scheme covering two sites in
the bustling seaside resort.
New Inn Hall Street, in the heart of Oxford’s congested city
centre, has been earmarked for redevelopment using a shared space
approach similar to that adopted in Ashford.
In November, Ashford completed the first phase of its
award-winning shared space project to transform its 1970s ring road
into quality, two-way streets in which drivers, cyclists and
pedestrians have equal priority. The scheme has opened up the town
centre to make it more attractive to residents, businesses and
visitors.
The £15.6m scheme has been implemented by Kent County Council and
forms part of a £2.5bn public and private sector investment
programme for Ashford.
Unnecessary street furniture, road markings and traffic lights
have been removed and the speed limit cut to 20mph. Road surfaces
have been replaced with high-quality materials, wider footpaths and
low kerbs, to create a distinctive streetscape, while artists are
transforming the public space along the road into an attractive
tree-lined environment.
Judith Armitt, managing director of Ashford’s Future, the agency
overseeing Ashford’s growth programme, said she was delighted that
the town had created a blueprint for other towns to follow. “The
scheme has made our town centre more attractive to residents and
visitors and it’s playing a vital role in unlocking the commercial
development potential of Ashford.”
Kent County Council Leader Paul Carter said: “The scheme looks
absolutely fantastic. It's just what Ashford needs. It's very
modern and contemporary, and very well designed. This is the first
stage. We have got to build other highway schemes when we get the
funding from the Government or developer contributions.
“It's a completely different experience. It's a shared space
where people change their behaviours - both motorists and
pedestrians. The professionals say it does make drivers and
pedestrians more cautious and has worked in other countries.”
Urban design expert Ben Hamilton-Baillie, who was involved in
the shared space project in Ashford, said he was not surprised that
so many town planners were waking up to the potential of using the
shared space approach to revitalise their public places.
“While it is true that no two schemes or circumstances are ever
alike when comparing the needs of different places, planners in
town halls across the UK are beginning to realise that designing
street projects based on shared space principles is the way
forward.”
Media Release 0091/09
25/03/2009
This webpage was updated on
3/25/2009