Alresford project aims to put pedestrians first
Alresford’s pedestrians are set to benefit from a new project being led by the enterprising Town Partnership.
On Monday 29 June 2009, work will start at Perins School in Alresford to create a brand new, long stay car park off Jacklyns Lane. Once it is completed, a footpath will be established across the school field to the town centre, with a new pedestrian crossing point across The Avenue. It is hoped that the majority of the work will be completed by the end of the school summer holiday period.
The work will be carried out by Graham Moyse Contractors Ltd, and is scheduled to take approximately 12 weeks. The car park and footway will both include new street lighting and the car park and surrounding area will be landscaped with new planting.
The work is part of the Putting Pedestrians First project being led by Alresford Town Partnership and is a collaboration between New Alresford Town Council, Perins School, Bighton Parish Council, Hampshire County Council and Winchester City Council.
The project is aimed at making Alresford town centre a more pleasant place for pedestrians. The long term car park will help to reduce traffic in the town centre and free up the short term parking spaces for shoppers and visitors. The footpath across the school playing fields will link-up the town centre with the residential area to the south west of the school; reducing further car journeys into the town centre.
Dr Nigel Paterson, Chair of Alresford Town Partnership, has said:
“This project is an exciting step forward for residents, businesses and visitors to Alresford. We hope that it will help the prosperity of the town as well as making it more accessible. It is the result of some excellent co-operation between various voluntary and statutory bodies, and without them it would not have happened. We are very much looking forward to seeing the work start on site and to the great moment when the new facilities are opened.”
The partners – all of whom are helping to fund the project - have benefited from a grant from the South East England Development Agency’s Small Rural Towns Fund, and from contributions by local property developers.