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Groundwork aim to restore Georgian square gardens
Partners: WSCICs Simon Turner, Andrew Darron, Myerscoughs Andrew Taaffe and David Gill
One of the key gateways into Preston’s Winckley Square has been targeted to kick-start its revamp.
The entrance into the gardens of the Georgian square, at the junction with Cross Street, will be revived at the start of a restoration drive.
Today, Andrew Darron, of environmental charity Groundwork, which has been appointed to draw up a masterplan for the work, said it would look to refurbish pavements and railings and clean up the Sir Robert Peel statue in the area.
It has been joined by Myerscough College, which will supply a team of tree experts, and members of the school of architecture at the University of Central Lancashire, as new partners in the project.
Mr Darron said he believed the refurbishment of the Cross Street gateway would be “relatively straightforward”, but said Groundwork’s main role would be drawing up a masterplan for the work.
He said: “There is a danger we could go in and spend a lot of money and then we have to undo it to do something else.
“Our biggest job is to get a clear idea of what needs to be done and what order we should do it in.”
But, he added, there was room for some “quick wins” backed by £30,000 committed to the restoration by the Preston Business Improvement District (BID), a body paid for by traders to boost the city centre.
He added: “There has been a lot of talk about what could be done on the Square, this plan will look at some of the things which can be brought forward in the shorter term as well as the longer term.”
Groundwork will be putting together a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for bigger projects including improvements to pathways and drainage.
David Gill, chairman of the Winckley Square Community Interest Company (WSCIC), the business-led body which has taken on the restoration push, said the plan would be a phased “sympathetic restoration”.
He said the body meets this month to draw up the first phase of the Winckley Square Futures Project, which will be unveiled in the summer.
He added: “We want to use some of this investment (from the BID) to fund a series of short-term projects.”
Myerscough tree expert Duncan Slater said the square was “a rough diamond”.
He added: “Polished up it will be a precious gem of a place and we are looking forward to lending our expertise to the project.”
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Weather for Preston
Sunday 19 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North west
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