Image demonstrating Hexham town centre improvement scheme to start in Summer 

Hexham town centre improvement scheme to start in Summer 

 
Work is due to start this summer on a £1.5 million-pound public realm improvement scheme to revitalise Hexham’s historic centre. 
 
The project is a key component of the Hexham High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) which aims to make the town a more attractive, engaging and vibrant place for people to live, work and visit. 
 
The work will focus on the key corridor of Priestpopple, Cattle Market and Battle Hill and include upgrading paving materials to complement the historic surroundings, widening a section of pavement on the north side of Priestpopple, introducing more greenery and improved street furniture.  
 
Proposals for the public realm scheme were launched at a public consultation in May 2022 and designs have taken account of a wide range of responses from residents, businesses and local organisations.  
 
Designs and traffic management arrangements are currently being finalised and will be made public as soon as they are. 

Over the coming weeks Northumberland County Council will be liaising with businesses in this area about the work, the timescales involved and how to keep disruption to traders to a minimum. 

The scheme is being funded and delivered by Northumberland County Council and has benefitted from funding during the design phase from Historic England through the HSHAZ programme. 

Northumberland County Councillor Wojciech Ploszaj, cabinet member for Business said:  
 
This is a big investment into Hexham by the council to help revitalise Hexham’s historic town centre. Our aim is to make Hexham a more attractive, engaging and vibrant place for people to live, work, invest and visit, while also enhancing the Conservation Area status of the town centre.   
 
The improvements are a component of the Hexham High Streets Heritage Action Zone scheme (HSHAZ), which is part of a £95 million government-funded national programme led by Historic England.  It’s designed to secure lasting improvements and help breathe new life into historic high streets for the communities and businesses that use them.  
 
Jules Brown from Historic England said: “We’re delighted to be contributing to this project through the Hexham High Street Heritage Action Zone. The rejuvenation of the public areas around Priestpopple, Cattle Market and Battle Hill will go a long way to enhancing the look and feel of the historic town centre, improving the spaces for pedestrians in particular.”     
 
The Hexham HSHAZ has been developed by Northumberland County Council and key partners and is backed by a wide range of community and business stakeholders.  
 
The planned work also complements the heritage lighting scheme that was installed in the first phase of work last year and will deliver further investment in the target area already benefitting from the HSHAZ building grants scheme.  
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