Gold Standard for regeneration

Published: 13 November, 2007

Regeneration projects in Hebden Bridge, Luton and Redruth have won the BCSC's Gold Standard awards for Town Centre Environment. The awards, which were presented at the Gateshead conference, recognise work undertaken in towns and cities across the UK to improve the urban environment and encourage retail investment.

Presenting the awards, Centros Miller chairman John Laker said: "These three locations have delivered innovative projects aimed at improving the public and civic realm and, in doing so, have paved the way for future retail investment. The judges were considerably impressed by the outstanding quality of the projects they looked at this year."

In Redruth, where the town centre is being regenerated, the judges noted impressive changes to access and the installation of public art, including the Tin Miners' Hounds sculpture.

At Hebden Bridge, the focus on the town centre environment has seen work on pedestrianisation and the opening up of a viewpoint towards the River Calder.

And in Luton the revamped St George's Square has been designed to cut down on the antisocial behaviour that previously blighted the area.