Southampton City Centre has certainly seen changes over the last decade, not least the transformation of Guildhall Square from a car park to a square full of culture and events.
This is about to be accelerated with plans for improved pedestrian, cycle, public transport, recreational and visitor experiences, whilst simultaneously improving the flow of traffic outside a greener city centre.
The plans will open up a new city park at Albion Place by the historic town and castle walls, create better flow between the Central Parks by reducing motor traffic on cross-park routes, and radically improve the sense of place in front of the Civic Centre. Some of the works are due to begin this year, with the majority completing in 2022.
At the same time plans are being made to erect a new statue of Sikh pilot Hardit Singh Malik, dedicated to memory of members of the city’s ethnic communities who lost their lives in wartime. It is expected that the statue, by West Midlands sculptor Luke Perry, will be erected outside the Sea City Museum in 2023.
For more information on the City Centre Transformation and to provide feedback in the consultation (ends 19 March) please see the Southampton City Council website.