Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Crunch decision on £1m makeover of city high street
Council officers back controversial project
A decision on the controversial £1 million makeover of Canterbury high street was set to be made by councillors at a crunch meeting last night (Wednesday).
Council bosses want to rip up an “unsightly” stretch of St George’s Street between Mcdonald’s and New Look.
They are planning on booting out the existing market traders and turning the shopping district into a leafy boulevard, complete with a new event space, seating and lighting.
It is hoped the scheme - first thought up five years ago - can breathe new life into the “tired” high street.
Market stallholders will be forced to stop trading in January 2023, and the existing spaces will not be reallocated to them once the work is complete.
The council has come under fire for its proposal to scrap the twice-weekly event, with results from a public consultation suggesting more than 50% of respondents disagree with the decision.
Yet despite the mixed reaction, leaders at the authority want to green-light the project.
A special regeneration committee meeting to solely discuss the St George’s Street plans was due to take place last night.
A report from the authority’s head of transport and environment, Richard Moore, recommended councillors approve the project.
“It has been recognised for many years that the appearance of St George’s Street has been gradually declining,” Mr Moore writes.
“As one of the main shopping areas in the city centre the proposed investment will improve the quality and character of the street so that it is restored as one of Canterbury’s most prestigious areas for shopping and visiting.
“The results of the public consultation demonstrate that 66.6% of respondents agree with the proposals to improve the appearance and there is a majority in favour of all the proposed design features.”
The current aesthetic of the top end of the high street is deemed to have a “detrimental” impact on the allure of the city for potential tenants wanting to move into Whitefriars.
The plans would see an existing row of trees chopped down and a new one planted.
Should the scheme be approved, a review of street trading pitches across the city will be undertaken. The council says it will “try and accommodate as many of the existing market traders as possible” elsewhere in Canterbury.
‘It has been recognised for many years that the appearance of St George’s Street has been gradually declining’