Market Place, Cockermouth

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Regenerating Cockermouth Market Place Area

Cockermouth Partnership includes representatives of the local community, the Civic Trust, Chamber of Trade, Local Government, Town and Parish Councils, the private sector and a variety of local groups. 

The Partnership aims to improve the economic, social and cultural well-being of the area and as such is currently taking forward the local regeneration agenda through the Cockermouth Market Town Initiative (MTI).

A key element of the MTI is to stimulate regeneration of the Market Place area, which is seen to have underperformed economically for a number of years. 

The Vision

A vision of economic prosperity and a vibrant social and cultural scene has been established by local stakeholders for the Market Place area. 

The area will proudly showcase its heritage and other assets, respect traditional and rural values and incorporate cutting edge design and infrastructure to meet current challenges whilst confidently facing those of the future.

This vision and the means through which it can be realised are illustrated in Cockermouth Partnership’s Market Place Area Masterplan – allerdale.gov.uk . Achieving a suitable framework to realise this vision requires the cumulative impact of many factors and initiatives and Public Realm, how the streetscape looks and works for its users, plays a key role.   

The Partnership has raised over £1million to improve the public realm in Market Place area in 2007-08. As such, BCA Landscape, the award-winning designers, will design and implement physical changes to the streetscape, creating a high-quality, distinctive and vibrant Market Place area that attracts greater footfall, adds value to the town centre, facilitates future investment, is in keeping with the local regeneration agenda and a focus for local heritage, arts and civic pride.

Approach

We aim to facilitate a local regeneration agenda that addresses the major social, economic and environmental issues facing rural communities today. 

In doing so, we must appreciate how these issues manifest within the local context and utilise locally appropriate methods and assets to address them.

Informed by the Cockermouth Conservation Area Design Guide and Cockermouth Market Place Area Masterplan, this project will harness the local dynamic, incorporating best practice design, applying new technologies, sustainable development principles and a positive, forward thinking approach as distinctive as the character of the town. 

It will enhance the urban landscape, community cohesion and the ‘essence of place’, instigating economic, social and environmental change that embraces the future and respects the past.

Partners must appreciate our social, environmental and ethical values and share our commitment to their application through this work. They must utilise best-practice design principles and incorporate the sustainability agenda. Local and/or recycled materials are to be used wherever possible, with initial reference to the Directory of Cumbrian Natural Building Products and Alternative Energy Providers and any similar documents in development.

The aspiration to access, foster and harness creative potential, central to local development plans, will be reflected in the design process as well as the place that it creates. As such, the input of the local community and artists will be central to our methodology.

We would urge all interested parties to be aware of forthcoming events and activities that will invite input into the design process. These will be advertised through the local press.

LATEST News

A Brief Report from Cockermouth Market Place Public Meeting on 11 September, 2007.

Over 70 people attended the meeting at the Kirkgate Centre to hear a presentation on the latest design proposals for the public realm works in the Market Place. Mike O’Connell the lead consultant for BCA Landscape presented plans that had been developed to take account of many of the concerns expressed over earlier plans. He said that he believed the current proposal represented a workable compromise. He acknowledged that there are some businesses which want to retain all the on-street parking and other residents who were very disappointed that the vision for full pedestrianisation had been dropped. The designs presented represent the best fit between the views of many people, plus the legal and health and safety issues affecting any work on a public highway. Following the presentation there was a long session of questions from the public, particularly on the issue of parking. Whilst there is still some dissent on this issue, most questions were seeking information and clarification. One person who had opposed previous plans expressed thanks to the BCA team for listening and being receptive to public concern and this comment drew considerable applause. The overall feel of the meeting was positive. The plans, which now form part of the tender brief for contractors include the following: Two-way traffic maintained on Market Place. Widening of pavements and resurfacing of pavements and road surface One loading-bay outside the Allerdale Court Hotel One short-stay free parking bay near Little Basil to accommodate one disabled parking space and two ordinary disk-parking spaces Replacement of the remaining 13 parking spaces which are currently available on Market Place with 13 short-stay, free disk spaces in Bitterbeck car park. Long-term parking displaced from Bitterbeck to be relocated elsewhere Current trees to be retained except for two, which are in a relatively poor state of health. These will be replaced with fully mature specimens. Widening of pavement on one side of Castlegate to improve road safety for pedestrians, particularly children walking home from school. The scope of the Traffic Regulation Order to allow the temporary closure of the road for markets and other events has been reduced to apply only to Market Place. Occasional events which are big enough to require the closure of a wider will need to apply for specific police permission as they do now. Work is now under way to get contractors in place and a public meeting with the contractors is scheduled for the evening of 16th October. A meeting with local artists to involve them in very detailed designs will take place at the Kirkgate Centre on the evening of 27th September.

.... THE INFORMATION ABOVE WAS KINDLY SUPPLIED BY JUDITH BROWN ON BEHALF OF THE COCKERMOUTH PARTNERSHIP LIMITED.