Views sought on improvements to Hexham’s historic centre
04 May 2022 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
A consultation event is being held in the Queen’s Hall, Hexham to seek the views of local people on proposed streetscape improvements in the town’s historic centre.
The streetscape scheme focuses on improvements to the visual appearance of the streets and pavements and to pedestrian and road safety in the areas of Priestpopple, Cattle Market and Battle Hill.
It will involve upgrading materials so they are more in keeping with the historic surroundings and Hexham Conservation Area and also increasing greening within the streetscape.
The improvements are part of the Hexham High Street Heritage Action Zone scheme (HSHAZ), which is in turn part of a £95 million government-funded 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.
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.
A display outlining the proposals will be in the foyer of the Queens Hall from Saturday May 7 until Sunday May 15. It will be manned by county council officers on Saturday May 7 from 9.30 am to 1 pm.
Northumberland County Councillor Wojciech Ploszaj, cabinet member for Business said:
“The proposed scheme has been developed to help revitalise Hexham’s historic town centre making it a more attractive, engaging and vibrant place for people to live, work, invest and visit, while also preserving the Conservation Area status of the town centre.
“We hope everyone involved in the town – those who live, work or visit it – will take the time to view the proposals, either at the exhibition, or online, and give us their views.”
Jules Brown, from Historic England, said: “This is a great opportunity for local people to have a say on the future of their high street and plans to revitalise Hexham. I’d really like to encourage everyone to get involved.”
The proposals have been developed by landscape architects, Southern Green who have worked alongside Northumberland County Council officers to review the existing high street.
Improvements to buildings are also being considered as part of the HSHAZ programme but this project solely focuses on the streetscape.
Have your say:
Residents can give their feedback on the public realm proposals until Sunday 15th May 2022.
There are three ways to provide comments:
• Complete the comments sheet with the display and place in the box provided
HSHAZ scheme proposal
• Scan the QR code and add your comments online