Two Neighbourhoods Selected for Street Redesign

Two streets in New Plymouth are to be redesigned to bring the neighbourhood back to the roads.

Davies Lane off Belt Road, and Pendarves Street from Liardet to Gover Streets, will be redesigned as part of the Let’s Go Street Project, which aims to turn back time to when kids could safely play and bike all over the road and neighbours knew each other.

“This is about strengthening neighbourhoods and encouraging peoples’ focus away from cars and back onto our street environment,” says Mayor Harry Duynhoven.

“I’ve seen the 16 applications we received from throughout the district, and the passion that neighbours had for redesigning their streets is obvious.

“Selecting two entries for the project proved very difficult but I’m proud to see how neighbours and schools have worked together to think about what kind of street they want.”

The Davies Lane project was submitted by West End School, where its students want a kid-friendly road that encourages walking, scooting and biking, and builds on the friendliness between neighbours.

The Pendarves Street project was submitted jointly by Central School and residents. Between them, they want an area with more vegetation, slower traffic, a positive impression of the school and the street, and which notes the street’s history back to 1860.

Both streets will become a model for how neighbours can reclaim their streets for a better lifestyle, says Let’s Go Project Manager Carl Whittleston.

“We now need to firm up the designs for these streets,” he says. “The first step will be a workshop with a design team, Council staff, and residents and students’ groups,” he says.

“We’ll get a concept plan together for each street and ask the neighbours to talk about it some more with each other as we work toward finalising the redevelopments.”

Construction of the streets’ modifications is likely to take place in spring/summer.