Gillingham High Street is set for a significant face-lift in the New Year.
Funding secured by Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership through the Government’s Local Growth Fund is being invested in Gillingham town centre to support economic growth by enhancing the town centre environment.
Dorset Council’s successful bid for money from the LEP will improve pavements and resurface the road between South Street and Newbury Roundabout.
Uneven block-paving in the ‘raised table’ areas and the pavement between Lloyds Bank and Newbury will be replaced with an imprinting technique recently used in Station Road.
This modern technique – where hot asphalt material is laid and imprinted with a paving effect, reduces trip hazards and is easier to maintain compared to traditional paving.
Some heritage features in the historic part of the town will also be enhanced, including replacing the fence on the footbridge and the replacing existing light columns with heritage lamps.
Cllr Ray Bryan, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said: “Over time, the existing materials through High Street have become cracked and uneven, making it difficult for pedestrians and cyclists to navigate the area.
“Renewing this street scene with improved, modern materials will complement the new and ongoing sustainable transport improvements in the town. And together, these enhancements will make walking and cycling a safer and more attractive option for many people.”
The enhancements will help make the town a more attractive place to visit – encouraging new shoppers to the area and more residents to shop locally.
Dorset LEP Director Lorna Carver said: “Gillingham is a busy and growing market town. This urban realm enhancement will help revitalise the High Street.
“This local growth investment will really change the feel of the town centre and aid economic activity and vibrancy.”
Work will start in February 2021 and take around eight weeks to complete.
Can we be assured that the already extensive road works in the town will be completed before disruption in the High Street commences?
Hi Peter, yes, that’s the plan. The resurfacing of New Road and the B3081 Shaftesbury Road is scheduled for the end of January, to mark the end of the junction construction works, and work on High Street is set to start in February.
What is to be done for the empty shops some of which have been closed for a number of years. This has made the town centre looking like a refugee site.
What shops to visit???
Precisely. Cannot the Town / District Councils put pressure on the owners of various empty shops some of which it seems are being left deliberately empty – by them asking non commercially viable rents and with decaying fronts in hopes of obtaining planning permission to convert and develop residential accommodation. An outstanding example of this ‘ vandalism’ is the shop frontage between SCOPE and the Chinese takeaway. Could the landlords be obliged, at least, to install some form of appropriate photographic image frontage to mask this current disgusting site and certain others..!!
Hopefully this will be goodbye to the accursed humps and hello to more roadside parking… to encourage shoppers and be a more acceptable form of traffic calming. One can dream…
Whilst the enhancement works will I’m sure improve the look of Gillingham High Street what is really needed is a boost to the actual shops that are trading. If every shop cleaned and painted their exterior that would make a difference, if the empty shops were let out at a reduced rate for “pop up” traders or short term letting that would possibly bring the sparkle back. The monthly market may help. But seriously how can you have a vibrant High Street with seven supermarkets in the Town. We are very fortunate to have an excellent litter chap.