Phase one of the regeneration of Queensway, The Pavement and Kingsgate is well underway. Blakedown Landscapes, who built the award-winning Queens Square, started on site in January and have made swift progress, removing old street furniture, including benches and the lighting columns between Queens Square and The Pavement, along with the paving.
Trees along Queensway have been removed along with the topsoil and concrete planters. This was done early to avoid the bird nesting season and to enable the new works to take place. At a later date, 13 new trees will be planted into the area.
The new trees will not only complement the new design, but will require less maintenance, saving time and resources. In addition, around 3000 new shrubs will be incorporated into the redesigned entrance to Memorial Gardens. Before the works began, the council’s town centre Patch Team removed a significant number of plants, some of which have since been re-planted in Langley Green and Ifield.
Over the next few weeks, Blakedown will continue to remove the old paving and level out the ground, ready for drainage and the first wave of new paving blocks to be installed. The phone kiosk currently situated at the entrance to the pavement will also be removed.
Cabinet member for Planning and Economic Development, Councillor Peter Smith, said: “It’s great to see the next phase of the regeneration works well underway. Transforming the area into an attractive, inviting space using the same award winning approach used in Queens Square is exciting and will help to encourage residents, visitors and businesses in the Queensway.”
Continuing this, Louise Goldsmith, Leader at West Sussex County Council, said:“It’s great to see the Queensway scheme’s successful start. This is a natural extension to the Queen Square project and an excellent example of how the Crawley Growth Programme’s positive partnership continues to deliver regeneration and growth for Crawley.”
Jonathan Sharrock, Chief Executive at Coast to Capital said:“Crawley is ranked amongst some of the top performing areas for business and productivity in the Coast to Capital area which is reflected by the vibrant nature of the town. A strong mix of retail space, business units and transport infrastructure gives reason for many people and businesses to move here. There is a big opportunity for Crawley to play a major part in our ambition, by investing in the Crawley Growth Programme we will ensure that the area has sufficient transport links and public space for the future. “We are delighted to see such fantastic progress in many local projects including the Queensway developments and we look forward to working with partners across all sectors to ensure the Coast to Capital area is a fantastic place to live, grow and succeed.”
Thanks to the Crawley News for the post: