New look for historic Great Minster Street
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
As part of the County Council's support for local businesses and tourism, historic Great Minster Street in Winchester is set to be revitalised this spring, thanks to £300,000 of funding from Hampshire County Council and Winchester City Council.
In 2012, The Square in Winchester was repaved and improved to make it more attractive for shopping and tourism, including high quality surfacing to the road and pavements, unique bollards hand painted by local artists and improved drainage. The work followed the award-winning and widely praised improvements to the High Street. Now work is planned to extend those benefits along Great Minster Street between Symonds Street and The Square completing the enhancements to this part of Winchester and the setting of the Cathedral.
Councillor Ken Thornber, Leader and Executive Member for Policy and Resources at Hampshire County Council, will be asked to agree at his upcoming Decision Day on 24 January that the work can start, funded with £240,000 from the County Council and augmented by a contribution of £60,000 from Winchester City Council.
Residents and local businesses were consulted on the proposals and final plans have taken their comments and views into account. The proposed improvements aim to enhance the area, making it more accessible for pedestrians and giving a boost to trade in local shops.
The work has been scheduled to avoid disruption to local businesses during the busy summer trading period and the start of the Hat Fair. Preparatory work is due to start at the end of March 2013, with the main work beginning in mid-April 2013 and finishing in June 2013.
Councillor Thornber said:
"The improvements to The Square earlier this year have been very well received by visitors, shoppers and businesses. The area around The Square, which opens out onto the Cathedral grounds and provides the main access to The Close, is one of Winchester's most distinctive places and makes a significant contribution to the economic and cultural vitality of the city. The area has also enjoyed an increase in footfall, especially over the Christmas period when, according to the Winchester BID, 19% more people visited the city centre and this has been a great boost for local shops.
"By continuing the improvements along Great Minster Street, we hope this will help to enhance the area even further and encourage more people to visit Winchester and see what it has to offer."
Cllr Keith Wood, Leader of Winchester City Council, said:
"This is an important scheme in the historic heart of Winchester that benefits local residents and visitors. It is an excellent example of close co-operation between local authorities to provide real improvements in a cost-effective way and to ensure the high-quality of work that is appropriate for our city centre."
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