The town centre is set to welcome a range of new spaces on the High Street, aiming to improve accessibility and pedestrianised areas.
The revamp, which will result in the loss of nine car parking spaces and is scheduled to get underway later this year, follows two public consultations in 2022.
The new areas will separate pedestrian areas and large sections of car parking through seating and planting, as well as improve accessibility to public transport.
There will also be spaces for people to sit and enjoy their surroundings, plus new cycle parking, and will enhance links to and along the River Tees.
Improvements to True Lovers Walk include resurfacing the existing footpath to repair root damage and the playground at Snaith’s Field is set to be upgraded with new surfacing and some new play equipment.
The work will focus on six areas on Yarm High Street, plus improvements to River Walkways and Snaith’s Field:
- Northern Gateway (Yarm Bridge end)
- Northern and southern bus stops (outside Bang and Olufsen and The Ketton Ox pub)
- Silver Street crossing point
- Yarm Town Hall crossing point
- Central Street
- Southern Gateway (Yarm School end)
- River Walkways and Snaith’s Field
This work – which follows the restoration of Yarm Town Hall and is being funded as part of the £20m Levelling Up fund, secured in 2021 – will feature a number of references to Yarm’s history.
This includes interactive play items and ‘play on the way’ elements, featured in an area near Central Street.
Two public consultations were carried out in 2022, with the initial one showing a desire to improve footpaths, reduce street clutter, provide more planting and seating spaces and improve connections to the river.
The findings were used to shape and develop concept designs and were presented for a second consultation later in the year.
The proposals ranged from a minimum level of planned improvement through to proposals, which explored additional areas of improvement, but would result in the loss of some car parking spaces on the High Street.
The results showed that on average, 53% of respondents would be accepting of the loss of some parking spaces, depending on the location and what the space would be used for.
The design and location of the new public spaces was refined, with nine car parking spaces to be removed to accommodate the new public realm.
The first phase of work is focused on the River Walkways and will begin on Thursday, May 8, for around 10 weeks.
The High Street works will follow later in the summer once a final programme is confirmed.
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Councillor Richard Eglington, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing, said: “This is an opportunity to bring about further improvements to the High Street which we believe strikes the right balance in meeting the needs of residents, businesses and visitors.
“That’s why we’ve refined the proposals based on what people feel is an appropriate level of change.
“There’ll be more welcoming places for people to sit and enjoy such a pleasant environment, as well as widening areas of the footpath to help the movement of people and to make it more accessible.
“This also includes work that enhance spaces beyond the High Street, with emphasis on improving links to and along the River Tees.
Work will be programmed in a manner that minimises disruption to all users as far as possible.”
