Streets ahead: Community flower beds, street furniture and pavement mosaics in the Brooklyn Street area of Halliwell, Bolton
On the right track: Oldhams Estate, Bolton
23-Jun-05
During this week’s national celebration of architecture and the built environment through the arts at Architecture Week, a number of Bolton at Home’s housing projects have been showcased at the University of Bolton as examples of creative working and innovative design contributing to regeneration within the borough.
Bolton at Home’s Housing Percent for Art team, working with communities to help improve neighbourhoods through creative art projects, put forward the Brooklyn Street area regeneration programme, Oldhams Estate Home Zone consultation, and Skagen Court redevelopment project to be featured in an exhibition, with designs and models of these housing projects on display.
Bolton understands that ‘one size does not fit all’ and each area has unique physical and community regeneration needs. Strong partnership working between residents, Bolton at Home and Contour Housing Association encouraged collective community involvement throughout regeneration and sustainability of the Brooklyn Street area of Halliwell, Bolton, which is a designated private sector renewal area. This was enhanced by innovative arts based consultation with local residents through the Housing Percent for Art team.
Visual and environmental improvements to the area include the planting and raising of flower beds and the implementation of street furniture, pavement mosaics, the repositioning of street lighting and effecting community ‘Pride Day’ clean ups.
Brooklyn Street was one of several successful housing renewal projects which helped Bolton Council in being awarded the coveted Government approval of Beacon Status for its housing renewal services, which are delivered by Bolton at Home, in April 2004.
The Oldhams Estate Home Zone consultation, successful in obtaining Home Zone Challenge funding from the Department of Transport, used creative arts based consultation with the local community to improve the street scene of Dunoon Drive, manage traffic flow, and reduce on street parking to improve safety and quality of life for local residents.
Also included in the exhibition was a model of the proposed redevelopment of Skagen Court in Bolton, formerly a deck access block which has been recently demolished to make way for a new mixed development of affordable homes for rent and shared ownership, and homes for outright sale.
An integrated approach to art and architecture has been planned for the development, with a percentage of the construction cost specifically identified for artworks and features.
