Concept designs for Carlisle high street plans put forward

Concept designs for the ‘Reimagining the Greenmarket/Market Square’ project, which forms part of Carlisle City Council’s future high streets fund (FHSF) programme, have been created.

The project comes after the Covid pandemic, which drove a significant increase in online shopping, and in turn has hastened the decline of high-street retail, according to the report put forward by the director for economic development, Jane Meek.

The project aims to deliver a reimagined public square with improved infrastructure that ‘puts people first’, prioritising pedestrian movement and encouraging residents, workers, and visitors to stay longer in the city centre.

The funding is provided by the Government’s ‘Future High Streets Fund’, totalling £2.7million available to deliver the scheme with the aim to implement the works by March 2024.

The new space will aim to support the diversification of retail, and events, and bring new leisure and cultural uses to the heart of Carlisle.

Carlisle residents and businesses were consulted ahead of the final plans, which also incorporate wider parts of the city centre, such as the Citadel, Caldew Riverside, and the railway station.

In the background of the report, Meek puts forward that due to the move to online retail because of the pandemic, which has seen big shops like Debenhams shut their doors, numerous prominent city centre units now stand vacant.

After a public consultation in July 2022, feedback revolved around improving lighting and evening activity, more performance options, and heightened pedestrianisation.

As such, three concepts for Greenmarket and Market Square respectively were put forward.

Concept one for Greenmarket focused on green spaces, creating a quiet space around the war memorial, not unlike the pop-up park, and large street planters to frame the Crown and Mitre.

Concept one, which would see more green space for Greenmarket, not too dissimilar from the pop-up park of last year, but grander in scale and longer lasting. (Image: Carlisle City Council)

Greenmarket’s second concept would create a fun space, with a sunken area and water jets as the focus.

Concept two for the Greenmarket, which got the most support from the public consultation. It would see a sunken space with water jets created, as well as more seating areas. (Image: Carlisle City Council)

The third concept was for events, defining Greenmarket as a distinct space from the Market Square, creating a multi-functional events space.

Concept three would see Greenmarket as more of a distinct space from the Market Square. It would focus on being a performance space, and is reminiscent of the public's calls for the bandstand to come back.. (Image: Carlisle City Council)

Market Square’s concepts followed similar suit, with the first featuring more green spaces and trees, the second featuring lighting and moveable benches, and the third involving opening the area and incorporating an art installation.

According to the report, most people preferred concepts two and one for the Greenmarket and Market Square respectively.

The final designs for the project will be progressed in early 2023, with works commencing in spring.

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