Background
Stratford-upon-Avon Town Council and Warwickshire County Council have been working together on ideas for what Bridge Street, High Street and Union Street in Stratford-upon-Avon could look like in the future, building on ideas originally set out in the Stratford-upon-Avon Neighbourhood Plan.
Stratford-upon-Avon Neighbourhood Plan
We want to improve the look and feel of the town centre and make it easier and safer for people to move around on foot or bicycle, as well as benefiting bus users.
Our vision is a town centre which is full of life and meets the needs of our local community, businesses and visitors. There will be less traffic in the centre, making it safer and more inviting for pedestrians and cyclists. More people will be attracted to the town centre and will spend longer and more money in the local economy. This will be done in a way which respects the historic nature of the town centre’s streets and buildings.
To achieve this vision, the project has the following objectives:
- To provide a safe environment for people to walk and cycle
- To improve air quality in the town centre
- To support and enhance the local economy
- To protect the historic built environment
We started this work in early 2021 with the help of specialist urban design consultants Phil Jones Associates who initially developed four high level concept designs. With the input of the Town Centre Strategic Partnership (TCSP), a working group involving local councils, businesses and interest groups, a preferred concept design was selected.
We then shared this design with key organisations and groups in the town including members of the TCSP, emergency services, transport operators, business representatives and event organisers and we refined the design to reflect their needs and views.
We do not have funding to deliver these improvements. A funding submission to the Levelling Up Fund (LUF) in summer 2021 was unsuccessful, but there may be future opportunities to bid to the LUF or other funding streams. but carrying out this consultation and continuing to work on the proposals will put us in a better position to bid for funding.