The Bridlington Town Centre Sea Front Public Realm project provides much needed support to the economic, cultural and community life of Bridlington with a curiously unique renewal of almost half a mile of the town’s primary sea front public realm.
The project inspires a new ethos for the area which builds on its traditional use as the town’s central seaside area, encouraging more family friendly visits not only in the popular summer period, but also, importantly, in the low season and in the evenings.
Bridlington is a popular seaside town with roots in the tourist industry reaching back to the 19th century. Like many British resorts, its fortunes have seen a decline from its golden past with the advent of inexpensive holidays abroad.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council has sought to support and develop the economic, cultural and community life of the town through a number of high profile schemes over the last 20 years of which this project is a central part.
The site is a key area for visitors adjacent to the town centre with a wide variety on offer, from the usual seaside fare of amusements, rides and ice cream to more contemplative areas which provide expansive views of the coast from Flamborough Head to the north, stretching away to Spurn Point in the south.
This project creates a new unique sense of place through the renewal of its public realm in an unexpected and engaging way.
The renewal encompasses all aspects of the area including:
- Paving
- Street lighting
- Feature lighting
- Seating
- Signage
- Realignment of footways to give more space to pedestrians
- Pocket parks
- Working with local businesses to declutter all areas
In order to be of comprehensive value to Bridlington, the Council needed to carry out this extensive £4M scheme and minimise the potential negative impacts on local businesses and visitors during the roughly one and a half year construction period. For this purpose, East Riding of Yorkshire Council ensured that the right contractor was chosen, and using carefully selected quality measures alongside tender price, it was pleased to appoint nmcn PLC who brought years of experience in working in complex urban areas and an excellent record of public liaison on site.
A primary component of the scheme was consultation with stakeholders – this included members of the public and the business community both operating on the site and within in the town and surrounding area.
Consultation was a continuous feature through the life of the project. This was achieved at the start through a series of workshops and meetings to ensure a meaningful response to stakeholder needs, and then during the work, led by nmcn responding to issues as they arose.
