Details Released of Proposals for Central Chiswick Car Park
Flower market organisers want your views on upgrade for Old Market Place
Visualisation of the upgraded car park area in the centre of Chiswick. Picture: Luke Greysmith
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July 7, 2023
Further details were released at the Chiswick Flower Market last Sunday (2 July) of proposals for a major upgrade of the car park in the centre of Chiswick.
The organisers of the flower market say the area around Old Market Place (167-211 Chiswick High Road) has been neglected with walls crumbling, broken kerbs and redundant street furniture. Tree roots are blocking parking spaces and the area has become subject to flash flooding.
They are inviting the Chiswick community to participate in a co-design exercise and have commissioned landscape architect Luke Greysmith to draw up preliminary plans. An outline of these was provided at a stall at the market with shoppers encouraged to give their views and ideas for the improvement of the area which has seen no significant investment since the seventies.
The market organisers believe that the forthcoming redevelopment of the police station provides an opportunity for a complete makeover of the area.
Key aspects of the design include a rain garden planted strip to replace the broken concrete paving adjacent to parking bays, ‘rationalised’ parking bays to make better use of available space, improved vehicle manoeuvring space and provision of a loading bay for deliveries as well as wider pavements and more welcoming and coherent entrances to the space from east, west and north. There would be a reduction in parking spaces from 52 to 44 but this is largely due to the need to increase the size of bays because of updated guidelines.
Wider pavements would make area more welcoming to pedestrians. Picture: Luke Greysmith
There would also be enhanced market stall space, creation of flexible spaces for temporary uses and retention of all trees with improved root zone space,
The flower market team says, “We need to create a space that is busy, flexible, green, prosperous and lovely, and serves all members of the community. We need seating, more trees, flood prevention, access for businesses, parking, lighting, space for markets and for other activities. We need to future proof our centre and make it beautiful.
“We invite you to add your suggestions to these plans in order to co-design the best possible proposal. This co-design, run by Create Streets, will run throughout July and August.“
The former road access at the centre of the car park would be removed for pedestrian access. Picture: Luke Greysmith
You can view more details of the proposals here and can make comments by clicking here. The results will be compiled by Create Streets, an independent organisation that specialises in place-making and urban design, and fed back to the Flower Market team. Responses and suggestions will be incorporated into the plans to be submitted to the council for review and official council consultation, prior to any implementation.
It is hope that change will come more quickly by presenting a resident-led and well thought-through proposal, rather than waiting for a top-down borough-led design.
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