Cafe-culture on Market Street
Landscaping the street to promote alfresco dining, café culture and better connecting the town centre.
Background
Market Street is the main road through Leigh. In its existing form it divides the town centre, preventing easy access from the town square and Turnpike to the rest of the town. What was once a hive of activity with many shops and banks along Market Street is now mainly vacated.
Proposal
Our proposal is to break down these barriers and to bring liveliness back into Market Street once again. We can achieve this by making the area more pedestrian friendly. This will increase the attractiveness significantly allowing for al fresco dining along the footpath. New block paving and crossings will decrease the speed of traffic in this area, giving people a safer and more comfortable space to use. Improvements to the Railway road junction and crossings would make a better connection to Bradshawgate and Railway Road.
This would be the ideal place to attract cafés, eateries and bars to the town and connect the retail areas on Bradshawgate with the proposed new town square event space and existing nightlife on King Street.
Outcome
An attractive street with cafés spilling out onto the pavement and a safer and quieter environment that connects the existing retail on Bradshawgate with the potential new developments on the town square.
Key points
- A safer town centre
- Increased footfall to Market Street and the town square
- Improving the town's image
- Creating a café-culture
- Boosting the night-time economy
- Better connecting the retail areas