Hexham to receive £1.5m for town centre transformation

The "key corridor" of Hexham will be transformed, the council said

The transformation of a historic market town centre will "enhance its look and feel", it has been claimed.

About £1.5m will be spent improving the Priestpopple, Cattle Market and Battle Hill areas of Hexham, Northumberland.

Work is due to begin in summer and includes more greenery, improved street furniture and changes to traffic management.

It is part of a £95m government-funded programme being led by Historic England.

Residents and businesses took part in a public consultation last year which has helped form the final plans.

The designs are being finalised and are expected to be publicly revealed in coming weeks.

'Engaging and vibrant'

Northumberland County Council, which is funding the majority of the plans, said the work would focus on a "key corridor" which will help "revitalise" the area.

"Our aim is to make Hexham a more attractive, engaging and vibrant place for people to live, work, invest and visit," said Wojciech Ploszaj, the council's cabinet member for business. 

He added that it would also "enhance the Conservation Area status" of Hexham.

Council officers will be speaking with businesses on how it intends to minimise disruption from the works.

Meanwhile, traffic management plans are also expected to be released by the council shortly.

But the work will be worth it once complete, said Historic England's Jules Brown.

He said: "(It) will go a long way to enhancing the look and feel of the historic town centre, improving the spaces for pedestrians in particular.

"We're delighted to be contributing to this project through the Hexham High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ)".

Historic England helped to fund the designs through the HSHAZ, which was set up to improve the town for residents, tourists and businesses.