Church Street Project
Background
The Church Street Urban Design Project was created and defined from information and project ideas gathered by the Leatherhead Tomorrow Healthcheck. In parallel the Theatre management initiated discussions with stakeholders to explore how the cluttered entrance to the theatre could be improved. From this evolved the idea for a new civic space which could be used during community events or just as an inviting place for people to socialise. The overall aim was to attract more people to this part of the town centre and to help promote the Theatre, retailers and service providers in Church Street.
Project Development
A working group formalised the project proposal during the summer of 2006. Funds were raised from nine Church Street businesses and the main landlord (£6,000) to employ a project manager and from MVDC (16,000) and SCC (10,000) for an urban designer.
Jacobs, the urban designer, conducted stakeholder and public consultations in May and July 2007 to take designs from four concepts to a final feasibility masterplan. They also provided cost and construction programme estimates in preparation for a report to the SCC Local Committee for Mole Valley. On 26 September 2007 this committee adopted the report as the basis for detailed design. Authority was delegated to the SCC Local Highways Manager to commission urban design consultants to complete the design, tender and oversee the construction, and to include further public and stakeholder engagement. A working group, to include a representative of The Leatherhead Area Partnership Limited and Councillors for Leatherhead South, would be established to oversee the process.
Concerns subsequently raised by residents’ groups and the Chamber of Commerce have been lodged with the Local Committee and the Highways Manager. These will be considered in the next stage of the project.
What Next
SCC Highways have yet to agree where the project sits in their priority list and in the allocation of funds over the financial years 2008/09 and 2009/10. Council officers, in consultation with the Partnership are to seek alternative or additional sources of funding from elsewhere to minimise the call on council funds.