Public invited to drop-in session to discuss £600k revamp of Castle Street in Clitheroe

The work is part of a public realm improvement project being carried out jointly between Lancashire County Council and Ribble Valley Borough Council. The session will take place at the Ribble Valley Borough Council Civic Suite in Church Street, Clitheroe, on Thursday, from 4pm to 6pm, where people will be able to view the plans and chat to the project team.

A full closure of the road will be required for the duration of the works, which will take place from April 15 to July 31, 2024, with pedestrian access maintained at all times and limited periods for shop deliveries.

The works will consist of the narrowing and reconstruction of the carriageway, widening footways, the removal of the step on Castle Street near the junction with Parsons Lane and Castle Gate. The works will use high-quality materials for both footways and carriageway, along with new local signage, parking and loading restrictions, benches, bollards and other street furniture.

The improvements include disabled bays to improve access for disabled people who need to access the town centre.

County Coun. Rupert Swarbrick, cabinet member for Highways and Transport, Lancashire County Council, said: "These works will make one of the most prominent streets in Clitheroe more attractive and help to ease some of the parking issues that regularly get reported to us. We're not removing the parking altogether but prioritising the space for disabled residents who require easy access to the town centre.

"There will be some disruption while we carry out these improvement works, so I would just ask residents and businesses to please bear with us. I'd like to give special thanks to members of Clitheroe Town Team and the Clitheroe Civic Society, who were pivotal in making this project happen."

Ribble Valley Borough Council leader Stephen Atkinson added: “Clitheroe is a lovely place to visit and these improvements will make the town centre even more attractive and accessible. People have told us for many years that they want to see these improvements and we are delighted that this scheme is finally going ahead.”

The £600,000 scheme is being funded jointly by Lancashire County Council and Ribble Valley Borough Council.