New Designs For Watford's Town Centre
6 June 2012, 06:00
Exciting new designs have been drawn up to improve The Parade area at the ‘top of the town centre’.
Watford Borough Council, working with an external design team, has developed ideas for new designs, trying to strike a balance between the needs of the space’s many different users whilst retaining what people have said they currently like about the area.
The next step is to test the design ideas by asking people what they think.
This week local residents and businesses near The Parade were invited and attended a presentation of the design ideas and asked their views.
Elected Mayor Watford, Dorothy Thornhill said: “Like many I want the town centre to be more family friendly. The aim of these improvements is to broaden its appeal by attracting a wide range of visitors throughout the day and evening, whether to enjoy an outdoors event in a thriving civic space or simply to sit and pass the time there.
“This is about investing in the future of the town. We set aside capital money, which isn’t from council tax and legally has to be spent on improving the town’s assets and not on ‘day to day services’, to improve the area. When the improvements are completed, the area should also bring economic benefits to local businesses and the town.
“This is a very exciting time for Watford town centre and I am looking forward to the next phase when we see the plans really take shape.”
The £4.3million capital project was agreed in January 2010 to the upper section of The Parade, with aim of transforming it into a key civic space with the flexibility and capacity to accommodate a variety of outdoor events. Subject to the consultation outcome, works are planned to start in Spring 2013, completing in 2014.
There are further opportunities for anyone to see the designs from 9 June until 9 July.
Drop-in sessions with the designers are being held on:
- Saturday 9 June from 11am to 2pm at Shop 15, Charter Place shopping centre (ground floor between Gibsons and Orange)
- Saturday 23 June from 1.30 to 4.30pm near the pond at the top of the town
- Wednesday 27 June from 1.30 to 4.30pm near the pond at the top of the town
In additions the designs will be on display at the Town Hall Customer Service Centre, at Watford Central Library and the Charter Place shop from 9 June until 9 July.
The designs will also be able to be viewed, and comments left online, at: www.whatifwatford.wordpress.com (these go live on 9 June). Comments can also be emailed to: whatifwatford@bdp.com or by telephoning Jenny Wilson, of BDP on: 0207 812 8344.