Leatherhead AHEAD - from the Archives

PUBLIC MEETING ON LEATHERHEAD HIGH STREET PAVING PHASE 1

The Chair of the meeting is Cllr. Mrs. Janet Marsh, Chair of the Leatherhead Project Partnership Steering Group

INTRODUCTION

A vision for Leathenhead Town Centre
Leatherhead Town Centre will develop as an attractive, welcoming and vibrant district centre to which local residents and the business community will look with pride to provide their local shopping, business and leisure requirements. The town centre will be attractive to visitors from further afield, either as a specific destination or in conjunction with visits to the surrounding area.

OBJECTIVES

Achieving the vision

• Structural changes These comprise changes to the built and highway environment ranging from the major overhaul of the High Street to new developments and/or refurbishment on key sites. The District and County Councils are playing a key role in ensuring major renewal projects are co-ordinated and funded.

• Environmental improvements Improvements to the appearance of the Town Centre and the car parks. Examples include improvements to the Leret Way frontage of the Swan Centre and the Swan Centre car park.

• Business Support and Development To encourage existing businesses, and new businesses to work together to help themselves and the town. Meetings are already being held to develop the joint South East Tourist Board and Surrey TECs Welcome Host initiative. Leatherhead is the first medium sized town in the country to promote such a project.

• Promotion To promote the Town as a leisure, retail and business centre in order to enhance its value to local residents and to attract both new visitors and appropriate new investment. Examples include the Town Centre Festival and the Arts Alive festival, and the ongoing work of the Town Centre Manager.

Partnership
The achievement of this vision will require a long term commitment by all those interested in the Town Centre. Although the District and County Councils are taking a leading role, other interests have key responsibilities. The Town Centre Forum, other organisations and private commercial and business interests will all need to play their part.

Funding
The District and County Council's are taking the lead and are jointly funding the £½ million Phase 1 of the High Street/Church Street enhancements. This includes the investment in unique, hand crafted street furniture.

Further phases and other Town Centre initiatives will require wider funding partnerships involving private sector finance. Heritage and arts lottery bids will be prepared to ensure that Leatherhead Town Centre is given the best chance of receiving a share of nationally available funding.

CONSTRUCTION Page 1 of 2

Overall Design Objectives
To help achieve the vision for Leatherhead

In order to meet this objective the scheme needs:
To be of high quality
To be unique
To create a place where people want to be
To balance the requirements of all users of the Town
To return to a more traditional street scene

To be of high quality we have ensured:
High quality design by employing a landscape architect
A specification aimed at producing a high quality product
Only high quality materials have been selected, as indicated by the overwhelming preference of the people of Leatherhead

To be unique we will:
Select hand crafted street furniture
Create an identity for the Town

To return to a more traditional High Street scene we have:
Better defined user zones
Used more traditional materials and layout within the Townscape
Acknowledged the Town's heritage

To create a place where people want to be we have considered:
Safety
Comfort
Atmosphere/Environment - planting, lighting etc.
Sense of ownership

To balance the requirements of all users of the Town we have considered:
Shoppers
Traders
Visitors
Disabled groups - sensory concepts have been incorporated into the design
Businesses
All age groups

CONSTRUCTION Page 2 of 2

General Comments
Designed to minimise clutter
Designed to minimise damage due to disturbance by Statutory Undertakers
The road and footway will be strengthened
The shape of the road will be improved
The drainage system is to be renewed

Relationship of time, cost and quality

Quality
Time Cost

Duration of works
21 weeks

Nature of works
Everyone is asked to remember that this is a construction site but every effort will be made to keep dust, dirt and noise to a minimum.
There will be some early starts, late finishes and weekend works to accommodate businesses opening hours
Every effort will be made to consider the needs of the individual

Deliveries
Waiting restrictions will be lifted in Elm Road whilst the work is taking place.
We ask all those premises with access at the rear of the building to use this for loading
For those premises that do not have rear loading facility the contractor will help wherever possible.

Access
The pedestrian route through High Street will be maintained at all times with a 2m wide footway
Access to all premises during working hours will be maintained.
The High Street will be closed to traffic during the works, except for emergency vehicles.

COMMUNICATIONS - PHASE 1 PAVING 1 of 2

Means of Communication
We pledge to keep local people who use Leatherhead Town Centre informed of plans and progress through:
Press Releases and briefings
Bulletin Boards on site and in the Help Shop
Letters to all affected parties and interested organisations
Staffed office on site
Personal day to day contact
The Town Centre Manager
Help with deliveries to premises
Open meetings

Exhibitions
Leatherhead Help Shop
Pippbrook Council Offices, Dorking

If you require further information please contact
Surrey County Council - please contact Surrey County Council highways in the first instance, however, it may be necessary to pass you to Mole Valley District Council, the contractor or another Surrey County Council department to deal with your query.

Contractor
Raynesway Construction Southern Ltd.
Tile Factory Depot
Oxted Road
Godstone
Surrey
RH9 8BP
Telephone 01883 744733
24 hour contact telephone number will be displayed on site

COMMUNICATIONS - PHASE 1 PAVING 2 of 2

Other useful contacts

Mole Valley District Council

Leatherhead (general)

Other Highway matters

ARTS

Public Art Policy
Mole Valley District Council has a commitment to extending its arts provision. Public art is included within this, and a strategic aim exists:

To initiate, encourage and manage public art projects and extend the imaginative scope of the public artworks in line with the variety and richness of local culture to create a strong sense of place and identity

Objectives
Within this strategic aim, the objectives are to:
Effect an overall public art programme that serves all areas and social groups
Emphasise the social finction of public art
Extend the educational scope and impact of a public arts programme in Mole Valley
Pursue Mole Valley District Council's policy of encouraging developers to include features of new works of arts and crafts in office developments
Promote quality and innovation in our evolving and planned environment
Cultivate and progress a stronger sense of the District's identity and local pride
Encourage the employment of artists in the community and encourage and integrate the imagination and skills of professional artists in development
Stimulate a level of positive public debate about art and change in the urban and rural landscape

Public Art in Leatherhead High Street
It is identified that public art can have a role in the development of Leatherhead Town Centre. It will aim to give Leatherhead a unique identity by introducing elements of public art. These will include
Original seating designed by artist Rod Wales
Decorative original ornate ironwork that may include fabrication of spandrels designed for the alley ways of the town centre by Julian Coode, artist blacksmith
Decorative stone bollards by stonemason Michael Disley

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