THE toilets in Peel Square will be removed and the taxi rank relocated under striking new plans to revamp parts of the town centre.
Peel Square and Midland Street are among some of the areas that will be given attention in detailed proposals revealed this week for significant improvements to the public realm to be made as part of the £130m town centre regeneration scheme.
Barnsley Council’s ruling cabinet had sight of the plans on Wednesday and agreed to spend about £8m on the works, which are expected to start in April next year and be completed by 2020.
The original scope of the town centre regeneration project only included a new public square and improvements to existing public realm on May Day Green and Kendray Street.
However, this has now been expanded to also include upgrading Cheapside, Queen Street, Peel Square and Midland Street.
Under the revised plans Peel Square is 're-imagined' as a historic town square with the public toilets and market stalls gone and the area de-cluttered to open up views of the surrounding buildings.
The idea is that it would be used as an event space which could be used for ‘pop up’ stalls.
Midland Street will be a connecting route from the Courthouse area to the Glass Works and the plan is to reduce traffic to make it better for pedestrians.
This means the taxi rank will be relocated to Eldon Street and the footpath will be widened on the interchange side of Midland Street which will have trees and benches to make it more appealing.
Under the plans, which will be subject to subject to public consultation, the square very much remains the focal point and will boast terraced steps from the interchange up to the main square area, which is bordered by the new cinema, bowling alley, library and the revamped Metropolitan Centre.
There will be a space in front of the library with Astroturf and stone terraces to create an amphitheatre and it will also have a water pool and outdoor dining for restaurants.
The Cheapside and Queen Street retail areas will be ‘craggy’ in character and have clusters of outdoor market stalls.
Council leader Sir Steve Houghton said getting the public realm right is important to the overall scheme.
“As important as the buildings are, getting the public realm right is crucial to making the right kind of environment that people want to come to,” said Coun Houghton.
“It is not just about the immediacy around the market but the wider public realm.
“Also the design has to be right so that it looks good but also keeps it crime free because there has been complaints about behaviour and the design is done is such a way that prevents that.”
Coun Roy Miller, cabinet spokesman, said the new public realm plans go to consultation next month and is looking forward to showcasing the designs to the public.
He said: “A quality public environment can have a significant impact on the economic life of our town and has always been an essential part of our regeneration strategy. Businesses are attracted to locations that offer well-designed, well-managed public places and these in turn attract customers and services.
“The new public areas will connect The Glass Works development with the rest of the town centre and create an overall sense of place. The main square will create a new location in the heart of the town for people to socialise and relax.
“We believe the changes will make a major impact and provide a town centre that we can all be proud of.
“We will be expanding the #EverybodyThink campaign, to encourage people to act responsibly by disposing of litter and chewing gum in the many bins provided around the town centre.”
