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We've been working with East Sussex County Council and South East England Development Agency to improve the pedestrian environment along the 'Kings Road Corridor' which runs from St Leonards Warrior Square station to the seafront along Kings Road and London Road.
Improvements to Kings Road have now been completed and were one of the most important aspects to the overall regeneration programme for the area. Kings Road is an important retail street and these improvements will attract more investment in to the area. The aim is to reduce the number of empty shops on this road and improve the quality of the available shops. The improvements also signal a positive step-change in the perception of this part of the town and are intended to create a busy thoroughfare from Warrior Square Station to the sea-front. We have used high quality materials to improve the open spaces, created attractive gateway points and squares, such as at Pevensey Road, and by the installation of public art at various locations. These works were completed in July 2009.
Other works to the Corridor include improvements to Norman Road, London Road, Pevensey Road, Silchester Road and the seafront. We have improved crossing points, laid new paving, new road way surfaces, lighting and planting schemes.
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Before: A lack of distinction between the pavement and the road presented a drab, uninviting scene with little definition or character and a monotony of concrete.
After: Greatly improved paving that widens the scope of the entrance and the grey-bricked effect at the road junction helps improve safety. The newly planted tree housed in an attractive cage interrupts the monotony of concrete and complements the newly installed Victorian bollards.
Before: A typically drab urban scene where the pavement, road design and street lamps do nothing to complement the unique Victorian architecture.
After: A series of carefully considered features draw the eye away from the less attractive elements of the street scene. Newly planted trees housed in attractive, Victorian-style cages disrupt the grey monotony of the road and the pavement. The newly installed Victorian style street lamp accentuates the street's unique heritage and the grey-bricked effect at the road junction helps improve safety.
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Before: One of the things we're trying to do in St Leonards is to make a clearer link between the streets and the seaside as many people have said they feel like they're cut off from the sea - even though it's only a few minutes walk away. This image shows how the combination of cluttered signage, overly complex traffic systems and close-knit railings created a sense of claustrophobia and obstructed the natural flow of London Road as it emerged from the centre of St Leonards and out onto the seafront. It also made this 'gateway' into St Leonards appear heavily fortified and uninviting.
After: Removing the railings, much of the signage and simplifiying the traffic system created a much more expansive effect so London Road now flows freely down to the seafront, feels far less static and easily leads onto the panorama of the beach. This 'gateway' into St Leonards is now open and inviting.
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The steps before improvements
The artwork on the wall of the steps
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We have created a new gateway point to the town by creating an attractive area defined by trees and a small public square. The space links Christchurch, Silchester Road and the Congressional Church.
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This page last updated: 17/08/2009