By Megan Foulk, Co-Deputy Music Editor
Not seen running for a number of years, due to unrepairable damage, the three Centre Promenade fountains that were originally installed for the millennium will be covered with concrete.
Five London plane trees that border Broad Quay will also be removed, having outgrown their planter space with roots causing impairments to the pavement.
Hoping to restore life to the centre and increase attraction to the already popular harbour market, chair of the Economy and Skills Committee, councillor Andrew Brown said,
“By creating a flat surface across this whole area, we can give more room for events and people travelling through The Centre, which will make the area work better and take much of the pressure off all these competing needs.”
Ensuring the longevity of the new works, the existing plane trees will be replaced by smaller blossoming trees ‘that are more suited to growing in raised planters’.
The felled trees will be processed into wood-chip to be used around the base of the newly planted trees, as well as fuelling bio-mass boilers in some public buildings.
Alongside this project, the council plan to review the cycle route through Centre Promenade – a notoriously hazardous bike path for pedestrians and cyclists.
Dependent on contractor availability, the work is predicted to begin in January, taking advantage of the winter tree planting season. It is anticipated to take around three months to be completed.
What do you think about the proposed changes?
