Metal barriers put in place to help with social distancing have been replaced with plants after community groups and businesses came together to improve the appearance of Sudbury town centre.
Market Hill has had a line of black planters installed to replace the unsightly metal road barriers which had prevented people from crossing King Street.
Sudbury Town Council worked in partnership with In partnership with Perrywood Garden Centre in Sudbury and Sudbury in Bloom to give the town “a boost” - making it more pleasing to the eye and allowing more freedom of movement with gaps between the planters.
The new planters were unveiled today, in time for the ‘Music on Market Hill’ event happening on Sunday.
Additional cash for the scheme came from the ‘Reopening High Streets Safely Fund,’ part of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF),
Chairman of the Leisure, Environment and Highways Committee, Cllr Ellen Murphy, said: “This is a great opportunity for Sudbury to encourage more people to come into the town centre and to give a boost to our high street businesses.
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“I am very grateful to Babergh District Council for funding this through the ERDF and to Perrywood Garden Centre, who have donated the compost and plants, as well as our local community group ‘Sudbury in Bloom’ for their ongoing care. We look forward to seeing the Market Hill area used for a wide variety of cultural and social activities that can be more safely conducted outside in the fresh air.”
Andy Howes, vice chairman of Sudbury in Bloom, said: “Sudbury in Bloom is delighted to be asked to be a part of this community project. We are happy to add these planters to our ever increasing portfolio of adopted floral areas around Sudbury.”
Rachel Price, town centre manager for Sudbury Town Council, said: “We are sincerely grateful to those supporting the planters, and I think they’ll have a very immediate impact for this important central space in town. Special thanks go to Sudbury in Bloom and Perrywood Sudbury, after all planters are nothing without plants.”
She added: “Furthermore, we can completely empathise with our neighbouring towns working hard to create safer spaces in response to ‘the new normal’, these are unprecedented times and we are all working towards finding the best ways to keep everyone safe, get back to business whilst ensuring our public spaces are looking their best. It’s a difficult and delicate balance.
“We are also extremely fortunate to have ample free parking in town, it is time we promoted and celebrated this incredible provision, something we grossly underplay as a town, we’ve recently set up a new parking guide which details free short stay car parks in close proximity to the town centre.”
For more information on ‘Music on Market Hill’, click here.
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