A County Council scheme that helped transform East Street in Shoreham-By-Sea into a vibrant shopping destination has won a prestigious award.
The project, carried out in 2011, turned the shopping area into an attractive traffic-free zone with greater space for community events.
It won ‘Place Shaper of the Year’ at the Keep Britain Tidy Awards in Sheffield.
Project Manager Sylvie Hardcastle accepted the prize on West Sussex County Council’s behalf, alongside Shoreham town centre manager David Steadman of Adur and Worthing District Council.
The project was commended for the legacy it leaves behind.
High-quality granite was used throughout East Street to compliment its historical setting.
The street was pedestrianized, removing the clutter of parked cars and traffic.
There are now busy cafes and bars along East Street with licensed tables that make the most of the new space.
Events such as the HMS Shoreham Freedom Parade, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee picnic, and Farmers’ Markets have all been held there in the past year.
New seating, trees, cycle stands and ‘heritage’ style street lamps have been put in with pedestrians and cyclists in mind.
Signs prioritising pedestrians and cyclists were installed in East Street because it is a key route for people travelling from the train station to the town centre.
Cyclists can also now join the seafront path between Worthing and Brighton and the ‘Downs Link’ connecting the North and South Downs.
Other improvements included a new highway drainage system, the replacement of water and gas mains and the renewal of all connections to properties.
The scheme was the final part of a £5 million series of improvements introduced in Shoreham-By-Sea, Southwick and Brighton and Hove, funded by the Government’s Home and Communities Agency.
UK cycling charity Sustrans and West Sussex County Council also granted funding for the project.