A three-year, £6million project to “transform” the appearance of Altrincham town centre’s streets is to begin in March.
Altrincham-based design consultants Planit-IE has been appointed to undertake extensive improvement to the public realm across the town centre.
Led by Altrincham Forward, the project is aiming to “transform vehicle-dominated streets into pedestrian-friendly environments”, with positive impacts on footfall, engagement and dwell time.
Improvements will include:
- Gateway spaces marking the entrance to the town
- New street paving using robust, high quality materials that contribute to the character of Altrincham
- Wider, tree-lined streets with equal priority for pedestrians and vehicles
- Sympathetic lighting to highlight key architectural assets
- De-cluttering of streets to improve the user experience
- Developing a parking and wayfinding strategy for the town
Phase one of the works, scheduled to begin in March, will include Shaw’s Road, Cross Street, Stamford New Road (in front of the taxi rank) and Goose Green, with completion scheduled for September.
Public consultation will take place later in January, with drop-in sessions taking place at Altrincham Town Hall where drawings of the planned improvements will be on display.
Representatives of the design team will be on hand to provide detailed information.
Nick Payne, chair of the Altrincham Forward Place Group, said: “This is a really exciting project for Altrincham that will transform the streetscene through the core of the town, and create a high quality, active shared space environment.
“Altrincham Forward has worked hard to drive this development, which we anticipate will result in a significant increase in footfall in key areas of the town, building on the positive impact we are already seeing from the redevelopment of Altrincham Market and the opening of the new Interchange.”
Councillor Michael Hyman, Trafford’s Executive Member for Economic Growth & Planning, added: “Trafford Borough Council is channelling significant investment into creating attractive streets and public spaces to create a modern town centre which is the hub of the community, and further fulfils our vision of a modern market town.”
Planit-IE partner Ed Lister said the changes would create “vibrant streets and places that encourage people to socialise, explore and enjoy the town centre”.
Below: A CGI of how the changes will impact Shaw’s Road
