News Release

Cabinet confirms High Street winner

Plans for a £4m High Street regeneration scheme is now firmly on the drawing board.

Maidstone's cabinet has chosen Letts Wheeler Architects to improve and renew Maidstone’s High Street.

Cabinet member for Regeneration, Cllr Malcolm Greer says the judges chose Letts Wheeler because their scheme will deliver the council’s and the public’s aspirations for the High Street.

Cllr Greer said: “After much deliberation the Jury Panel chose Letts Wheelers’ scheme. We picked them because they can deliver the High Street Maidstone wants. Now we will talk to them to develop their ideas and carry out consultation to add details to their design.”

The Jury Panel admired Letts Wheeler’s clutter free, simple homogenous approach to the design. Attractive use of up lighting helps the street work at night. The main vehicular carriageway is moved to the south of the street to create two large pedestrian squares outside the Town Hall and in Lower High Street to enable events to take place and restaurants to spill on to the street. The paving materials proposed are a mixed palette of flamed granite setts. Chris Tipping, a Kent based artist will be working with Letts Wheeler to refine the design.    

The competition, which launched in January, has been organised by Maidstone Borough Council and managed by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).The judges were Malcolm Greer, Cabinet Member for Regeneration; John Farmer from Kent County Council; Robert Sakula, architectural advisor; Alison Broom, Maidstone council’s Director of Prosperity and Regeneration and James Porter who was observing for RIBA.

The cabinet made the final decision on Thursday, May 21.  A programme of consultation with various interested groups will now be carried out to refine the design and the final design will go back to Cabinet for approval.

Date:
May, 22, 2009

Ref:
KJ/090512