Improvements coming to Bedford's Allhallows and Church Square this summer

Bedford Council will be making improvements to Allhallows and Church Square this summer.

Allhallows is a key part of Bedford town centre, and is a busy link between the town, the bus station and the train station.

The whole stretch of Allhallows from St Loyes Street down to Midland Road, and Church Square is set to be improved in a major project.

These works will transform this area of Bedford town centre, with the existing pavements and roadway being rebuilt and re-laid with a high quality granite surface.

Alongside enhancements to the street scene including new seating and cycle stands, and new lighting, this will create a new public space for people to enjoy and help to attract new businesses.

Throughout the work, people will be able to access this area and the shops and cafes, and business deliveries will be facilitated to minimise the impact on people working, travelling, and living in the area and nearby.

From Monday, July 27, the contractor Ryebridge Ltd will be setting up a site office with a drop-in centre for the public, people will be asked to abide by social distancing measures if they visit.

If you have questions about the scheme, you can also contact Sean Scully of Ryebridge Construction Ltd on 07970 053579.

Following initial exploratory works, the full reconstruction works will begin and take place in phases.

Works will be suspended during December so that the busy Christmas period for the town centre isn’t affected. The project is expected to be completed next spring.

Mayor Dave Hodgson said: “With the building of the new bus station, the surrounding area had begun to look tired and I am very pleased that we can bring forward this major improvement project.

“Council officers and the contractors will be going door-to-door with local businesses in the coming days to speak to them about the works, and answer any questions they may have.

"We have tried to keep these works as low impact as possible, with a phased approach to ensure pedestrians can still come through and a suspension of works in the run-up to Christmas.

"With upcoming works to the High Street to create more space for pedestrians and reduce traffic, and the exciting possibilities represented by the Town Centre Plan, the Town Deal and the High Street Heritage Action Zone we are looking to the future to ensure our town centre continues to thrive in these difficult times.”

Daniel Coyle, managing director of Ryebridge, said: “We are really excited to be Principal Contractor and delivering these improvements. We have vast experience working in public areas and we will ensure that these improvements are delivered with minimal impact to retailers and members of the public.

"Our team will shortly start meeting with retailers to build positive relationships and we will make regular progress updates as the project progresses.

“To make it easier for the public and retailers to communicate with us we have secured a retail unit on Allhallows where our team will be based and happy to take any comments or queries.

"There will be social distancing measures in place but we will use the shop front to display relevant information such as plans, maps and updates.”