July 2011
Guildhall Square in Southampton and Weston-super-Mare’s Pier Square have been chosen as winners of a national street design award.
The prestigious local government publication Local Government News has chosen Southampton’s new Cultural Quarter hub as the winner of the Editor's choice category in its 2011 Street Design Awards. Whilst North Somerset Council's £3.9 million scheme to redevelop Weston-super-Mare’s Pier Square scooped the top spot in the Pedestrian Environment category.
Halcrow’s Chichester highways team and the company’s Bristol-based landscape team provided design services for both winning projects.
Halcrow highway engineer, Chris Weedon explains the background to Southampton’s latest success, “Guildhall Square was completed in September last year and has already hosted a series of successful events, including Midsummer Dreams, Alive & Ablaze and a Royal Wedding Street Party. One of Southampton's largest public realm improvement schemes for many years, the project is part of the development known as the QE2 Mile, is helping to improve the quality of people’s lives for the city’s residents and visitors.
“As part of the scheme, the transformation of the city’s Guidhall Square, is the critical catalyst for re-energising Southampton’s Cultutral Quarter, whilst helping to boost business and attract more people to the area.”
Bristol-based landscape architect and urban designer Andrew Linfoot is thrilled that Halcrow’s work in Weston-super-Mare has helped produce an award winning public space, “Pier Square is the very centre of Weston-super-Mares’ sea front revitalisation, creating a new place for the town’s residents and visitors alike. Named by the public after a poll in 2009, Pier Square included the two lawns and surrounding roads between Carlton Street and the town’s world-famous Grand Pier.
“The new square has reduced the number of vehicles passing through the area and has made it more pedestrian-friendly. The improved lawns have creates a first-class outdoor leisure space and have encouraged visitors to walk between the seafront and town centre, thereby increasing trade for local businesses.
“The £3.9 million project is part of the £29 million seafront enhancement work which included the upgrading of the town's sea defences. The project has helped transform the seafront and put Weston back where it belongs as one of the country's premier tourist destinations.”
Street Design Awards is a nationwide competition that has been running for over 20 years. It recognises best practice and rewards innovation in street design. Around 150 entries were received and judged by an independent panel of experts.