Consultants named on Sale public realm overhaul

Trafford Council has picked landscape architects Planit-IE and engineering firm Civic Engineers to develop proposals for extensive public realm improvement in and around Sale town centre.

The consultants will work on a plan to rejuvenate Northenden Road, School Road, and Waterside Plaza in the centre of Sale, with a focus on improving public spaces, gateways and arrival points, and parking.

Civic Engineers said part of the remit would be to introduce more “high-quality” materials to the public realm within the town centre. The consultation for the project closed earlier this month, with Planit-IE and Civic now looking to publish an updated masterplan incorporating feedback from the consultation.

Both firms had previously worked on the overhaul of public realm in Altrincham Town Centre, also for Trafford Council.

Lindsay Humblet, partner at Planit-IE commented, “We are keen to involve the local community early in the design process and hear their thoughts on what they would like to see in their town.

“Our aim is to create a thorough but simple solution for Sale that is robust, timeless and acts as a catalyst for economic development.

“As well as being functional and beautiful, the landscape will be fun, catering to children through multifunctional urban furniture that will encourage play, movement and exploration, without being childish.”

Paul Morris, director at Civic Engineers, added: “This project allows us to build on the work we have already done in Altrincham and use our extensive experience to create a functional, inclusive and unique landscape for Sale.

“There will be considerable emphasis on sustainability with the town becoming a great example of an easy to maintain, urban nature scheme. A priority will be to ensure there is a comfortable and safe environment for pedestrians and cyclists whilst maintaining vehicular movement necessary to service the town.”

The public realm improvement project is separate to a privately-led redevelopment of The Square shopping centre, which was put forward earlier this month.

Developer Maloneview submitted a scoping report for a comprehensive overhaul of the town centre, including the partial demolition of the shopping centre and the construction of up to 37,000 sq ft of retail space, a 22,000 sq ft cinema, and up to 215 residential units.

The development, which stretches over a five-acre site in the town centre, could include buildings of up to 15 storeys in height.

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