Activate lands three new Local Authority placemaking instructions
Activate has been awarded town centre redevelopment consultancy and feasibility instructions for placemaking by three new Local Authorities in the past month.
The inclusion of the Activate team on each of the three projects means their expertise will be harnessed to maximise use of government funding, where it has been allocated, either through a Town Deal or via the Future High Streets Fund.
In each case, the Activate team’s unique insight will add value and provide input into the regeneration and enlivenment of a market, as integral components of wider town redevelopment strategies.
Activate will focus on improving the integration of the three markets within their respective towns, including consideration of public realm, sight lines into the markets, and engagement with stallholders to ensure that their views and needs are incorporated into the new schemes.
Competitive benchmarking will also take place, where the Activate team will assess other markets in the area, along with other retail and leisure opportunities, in order to analyse ways in which the rejuvenated markets can each become more commercially viable and attract more footfall. Findings will be compiled into a bespoke business plan for each individual market, before regeneration work begins.
Tapping into Workman’s ESG expertise
As part of Workman, the Activate team is also able to draw on capabilities within the wider business, for example experts from our Building Consultancy and Computer Aided Design teams get involved in the feasibility and design stages.
These three market projects will also tap into the expertise of the Workman ESG team, which is delivering Energy Audits of the existing markets, along with Social Value Audits, to assess the community benefits and what markets could bring to the local area. This involves examining market supply chains, as well as gathering the views of local faith groups, the police, and schools to discover their perceptions of the market.
Esther Worboys, Placemaking Manager at Activate, and Expert for the High Streets Task Force, said: “Well-designed and located markets can deliver social value in many ways. They not only provide social spaces in terms of community seating areas and meeting places, but can support the local economy, from farm to table. Both in terms of supporting local suppliers, and acting as an incubator for entrepreneurial start-ups, markets are known to strengthen local supply chains. This often encourages healthier eating too. And with design improvements to attract more people, markets provide natural surveillance, which can also reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.”
The inclusion of the Activate team on each of the three projects means their expertise will be harnessed to optimise use of government funding, where it has been allocated, either through a Town Deal or via the Future High Streets Fund.
Want to know more?
Read more about Activate, which offers specialist placemaking and destination marketing services to regenerate, repurpose and enliven assets.
Read more about Workman’s ESG expertise
Read more about Workman’s Building Consultancy team