Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) Council, Midsomer Norton Town Council and Town Trust have secured grant funding from Historic England’s High Streets Heritage Action Zones fund.

The grant supports a project to revitalise the historic town centre including the renewal of the High Street beside the Town Hall.

Nicholas Pearson Associates are are delighted to be acting as lead designer for the project which will represent a substantial investment in the High Street. Our work will help build community confidence during the pandemic and it will facilitate enjoyment of a key civic space in the town.

Joint Delivery Partners

We will be working on the design and delivery of the project which is part funded by West of England Combined Authority ‘Love our High Streets’ fund and BANES Council. The project has been boosted by a winning bid to Historic England’s ‘Heritage Action Zone’ fund.  Historic England, are joint delivery partners and they recognised the transformative potential of the project to improve this historic but un-loved space.

The former market area beside the Town Hall is currently dominated by car parking. It is disconnected from the rest of the High Street by a busy road junction. Design proposals will review the existing traffic arrangements and create an elegant space for market stalls and other civic and open-air events. A more equitable sharing of the space will facilitate pedestrian movement. The scheme will encourage social interaction whilst providing a boost for local shops and businesses.

The new Market Square design will be functional and flexible and draw on the town’s characterful history. Together, with investment in shopfront improvements, pedestrian route improvement and the reduction of vehicle dominance; the re-establishment of the market space will bring new life to the town centre.

Design expertise

We are delighted to have the opportunity to bring our experience of designing and delivering Public Realm Renewal projects to Midsomer Norton and to be working alongside this project delivery partnership.

How can we help you improve your local High Street?

Please contact us to find out more about our public realm design and delivery experience and how we can help you.