News Release
High Street design competition…..get
ready for the launch
Maidstone High Street is in for a major makeover. Cabinet Member
for Regeneration, Cllr Malcolm Greer says Maidstone is in for a big
change and wants the transformation to be bold, imaginative and an
inspirational piece of public space.
Only the best designs will be
considered. Ideas will be sought through an international
design competition.
Cllr Greer wants the High Street to mirror
places such as Vienna, Paris and Barcelona, and says this part of
town is going to have a balance between civic activities and the
need for cars and pedestrians to live together.
Cllr Greer said: "My vision is to create views
of the river from the High Street and make the most of the special
character of the All Saints area. I'm excited about this project
and have high hopes that we can make the High Street the focal
point of the town."
The competition will be launched on Tuesday
(January 13) with the best designs going out to public display and
consultation in April. Maidstone Borough Council is working
with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) to select the
best designs.
The winner is due to be announced in late May
or early June.
Cllr Greer explained: "Through creative and
innovative use of design and public art, we are seeking ideas and
approaches for a £4m public realm improvement project. We are
inviting submissions from multi-disciplinary design teams, which
must be led by a practising, registered architect or landscape
architect.
"This project will make the county town an
even better place to live, shop, work and visit. We want to
reconnect the river with the town and use its heritage to inspire
design. It will improve the economic prosperity of Maidstone."
Cllr Greer says the design will offer
long-term sustainability and successfully re-balance the competing
needs of pedestrians, vehicles and traffic.
He added: "We have visited and studied a
number of good examples of public realm improvement schemes such as
New Road in Brighton and the benefits are clear.
"In the current difficult economic conditions,
we must make sure that the town centre offers the most attractive
trading environment possible to support and retain retailers,
restaurants and other town centre businesses. Maidstone will
be well placed to attract new private sector investment coming when
the economy picks up."
A judging panel will select up to five design
proposals to go through to the public exhibition and
consultation.
Details on how to register will be available
at highstreet.digitalmaidstone.co.uk. Registrations
close on February 26, and the deadline for stage 1 design
submissions is 2pm on March 5.
Date:
January 9,
2009
Ref:
KJ/090106