Revitalising an historic town centre.
Lathams worked with Derbyshire Dales District Council on the successful £15m Levelling Up Fund bid for the regeneration of the historic Ashbourne town centre. We worked closely with the local community and stakeholders to propose transformational yet sensitive works to the public realm aiming to both increase footfall and build a thriving community.
"The public realm project focuses on ensuring a safe and connected town centre, through a series of traffic management, pedestrian safety and public realm improvements. Places of interest and heritage value within the town are currently disconnected and under-utilised, yet with investment can become places that can connect and draw people into the town, both in their own right and as locations for a modern market offer and event spaces. These improvements are complemented by measures on key streets that are currently dominated by heavy goods traffic. Building on the success of temporary measures during the pandemic, a comprehensive scheme aims to transform the experience for pedestrians and create a welcoming and accessible environment for visitors as well as providing confidence for investors.
The community project will also enhance vibrancy and create footfall through the creation of a performing arts and social venue. The Community Hub would significantly increase and diversify the town centre offer and provide a valued space for meetings, flexible working and community events. An improved accommodation offer will further enhance the capture of spend from the visitor economy whilst a co-located mobility hub will provide a range of sustainable travel options and connect directly into the National Park."