Station Quarter piazza unveiled
Mayor cuts the ribbon on gateway regeneration project
THE ribbon-cutting has taken place for the piazza at the heart of the Runcorn Station Quarter.
Halton mayor Chris Rowe had the honour of snipping the fabric to declare the space open.
He was joined by dignitaries including borough council chief executive David Parr, council leader Mike Wharton, and Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram for the occasion.
The land was previously occupied by a concrete flyover that was no longer needed following the opening of the Mersey Gateway bridge.
This prompted Halton Borough Council to draw up plans to demolish the “trumpet loop” and use the cleared space as a catalyst for regeneration efforts.
It is hoped the more open view outside Runcorn Station will create a more welcoming ambience offering tantalising glimpses of the town centre to tempt rail passengers to explore and savour the area’s assets and delights such as canal and riverside walks.
The piazza also expands the level visibility walking from the town centre to the station whereas previously the area was dominated by the flyover and supporting infrastructure.
Features of the piazza include low walls at a level comfortable for sitting on, a mix of shaded flooring and grassy areas.
The overarching project including the road demolition, refurbishing the Silver Jubilee Bridge, creating a five-way Station Quarter roundabout and creating the piazza was funded by £22.1m of Transforming Cities Funding allocated by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
It also forms one of the core pillars of wider plans to regenerate Runcorn town centre.
Clearance and construction work remain ongoing in the area.
Writing online after cutting the ribbon on Monday , Mayor Rowe said: “This afternoon I had the great pleasure of cutting the ribbon to officially open the new Runcorn Station Quarter project.
“Halton Borough Council along with their partners from the Liverpool City Region, Balfour Beatty and Scape Engineering have done a fantastic job in creating this open space, which has massively transformed the area around the station.
“Well done to everyone who played a part in this great project.”