Workington town centre designs
Washington
Street
One of the attractive features of the town centre is the
Washington Street frontage. It is proposed to create a new public
space, utilising these building frontages, which will act as a
connecting space between the new development and Old Workington. It
is envisaged that the entire square would be resurfaced with a
quality paving material to include Washington Street and the
footpaths. Bollards and street furniture would separate pedestrians
from moving traffic in order to maintain safety.
Central Square
The entire area
would be transformed into a square through which traffic passes,
rather than a road with footpaths, similar to many continental
towns and cities. It is anticipated that this area will become a
centre for cafes and restaurants.
Murray Road
It is essential that the new development be integrated as fully
as possible with Murray Road and the bus station. An eye-catching
canopy is being considered to provide a gateway between the two
areas, along with bold signage and landscaping.
Architecture & Retail Space
The basis of the
scheme is a network of pedestrianised streets linking Murray Road
with Washington Street and Pow Street with Jane Street. The aim is
to provide traditional streets with unique features, in common with
the street patterns of Old Workington. At the heart of the scheme
will be a covered meeting area, which will have curved frontages of
differing scales to create a focal point. The area will have
seating and it is hoped that the area will become a prominent
location for the provision of community art and street
entertainment. A range of different sized retail units with
different configurations will be provided, on a combination of
single and two storey levels. Although the main objective of the
new development is to provide retail units and the environment
to attract the major high-street chains, it is recognised that a
variety of smaller units are vital to the success of a town centre
as they meet the requirements of local independent retailers