Cowick Street Improvements
07/08/2012
The first stage of improvements to Cowick Street will start on site on Monday (13 August) when the City Council's contractors begin cleaning the St Thomas Railway Bridge.
Once the bridge has been cleaned, new lighting will be installed to enhance the bridge's importance as a local landmark and gateway to Cowick Street and St Thomas. Low energy LED lights will be used to uplight the faces of the bridge, and blue lighting will be used to light the underside of the main arch. New white lights will be used to light the pedestrian walkway and illuminate the popular Pigeon Mosaic mural, which was recently repaired and cleaned by local artist Elaine Goodwin.
The improvements form part of a £200K investment in Cowick Street by Exeter City Council. The aim is to make the main shopping area more attractive to shoppers and pedestrians, and to enhance the quality of the historic centre of St Thomas. The proposed scheme was finalised at a public consultation in March 2011, and includes:
Tidying up and lighting the Railway Bridge by St Thomas Station.
Improvements to the front of the St Thomas Shopping Centre (including a new recycling area, removal of clutter and tree planting)
Tree Planting and co-ordinated seats, bins and bollards to the rest of Cowick Street.
The incorporation of art into the design of new seats, bollards, bins and the new wall to the recycling area, and uplighting to the railway bridge.
Cllr Rachel Sutton, Lead Councillor for Sustainable Development and Transport, said: 'We're pleased that the Council is continuing to support local businesses by creating a more attractive environment in St Thomas. The cleaning and lighting of the bridge will be followed by further improvements over the winter with new tree planting, street furniture and a general tidy up of the rest of Cowick Street."
To minimise disruption, the works will take place overnight on Monday to Thursday (13 to 30 August). During the works, Cowick Street will be reduced to a single lane width and temporary traffic light will be used to manage traffic.
Full details of the proposed improvements and updates on progress can be found at: www.exeter.gov.uk/cowickstimprovements
