Kettering Market Place has received its first national honour, winning the Pedestrian Environment Category at the Local Government News (LGN) Awards.
The award was presented by the LGN to representatives from Kettering Borough Council, Weldon Plant Ltd and Savills Urban Design. Also in attendance were North Northants Development Company (NNDC), Northamptonshire County Council and Northamptonshire Enterprise Limited, which contributed to the funding of the scheme.
The award recognises the importance of successful pedestrian schemes in the regeneration of towns and cities in the United Kingdom. Past winners include the Lord Street Improvements in Southport, Trinity Gardens in Newcastle and a scheme focussed on the Old Bailey in London.
Paul Thomas, The Project Manager for Kettering Borough Council said:
“It’s great that a national body has recognised the success of Kettering’s Market Place. The project was a triumph of partnership working, resilience and vision. With the next phase of public realms works starting soon and the new Market Place restaurants already underway, this whole area will be transformed into something the town can be proud of.”
The Market Place project has been paid for using external bid funding from Central Government and has been delivered in Partnership with Northamptonshire County Council and North Northants Development Company.
Simon Evans, Chief Executive of NNDC, said:
"We are very pleased that Kettering's Market Place has received this accolade, which is a testament to the success of this scheme and the positive affect it has had on the local community. The exciting plans for Kettering town centre are taking shape and NNDC continues to work closely with Kettering Borough Council to ensure the pace of change is maintained."
Chief executive of Northamptonshire County Council, Paul Blantern, said:
“We’re delighted to have played a role in the partnership which was responsible for this exciting scheme and to be recognised for this achievement is excellent news.The Market Place along with the wider scheduled public realm works will be pivotal in the transformation of this part of the town and an asset to the county as a whole.”
Peter Goddard, of Weldon Plant, the local contractor which delivered the scheme, commented that:
"Having such strong connections with the local community, the importance of making the improvements to Kettering Town Centre a success for the local people was always paramount in our thoughts. We were happy to ‘go the extra mile’ and utilize all our professionalism and expertise to ensure the timely completion of the project."
Kettering Borough Council and Savills Urban Design have really pushed the boundaries and produced an exemplary scheme, setting the standard for similar projects/phases to follow.
The redevelopment is culturally and socially beneficial and makes a positive contribution to the quality and appearance of our environment for which Weldon’s are proud to have played their part.