Council spends £110,000 on landscaping for suspended parking bays

Artificial grass is placed in parking lots on Dudley High Street to aid social distancingArtificial grass is placed in parking lots on Dudley High Street to aid social distancing
Artificial grass is placed in parking lots on Dudley High Street to aid social distancingArtificial grass is placed in parking lots on Dudley High Street to aid social distancing

A local authority has spent more than £ 110,000 on wooden decking, artificial turf and patio furniture to upgrade parking spaces that have been temporarily closed due to the coronavirus.

Potted plants and trees are also being added in locations in Dudley and Stourbridge town centers where parking spaces have been fenced in to create wide sidewalks for social distancing.

Work began on High Street and New Street in Dudley on Tuesday after the Council secured £ 285,000 through a European Regional Development Fund program for the safe reopening of main roads.

A green-painted boardwalk, a wooden bench surrounded by a rattan umbrella, a frame with potted plants and a tree in a planter were installed on the High Street near the entrance to the Trident Center.

A similar scheme is planned for Stourbridge High Street.

It will create more space for people to walk in the city centers, which will make it easier to follow social distancing guidelines. The measures are expected to remain in place until at least the summer.

The parking lots were fenced in with barriers and traffic cones last July to create additional space for pedestrians to meet social distancing requirements.

But councilor Karen Shakespeare, Dudley Council cabinet member for public spaces, said dealers and buyers said the new spaces looked unattractive.

“We spoke to shopkeepers in Dudley to see what they would like to see and the ready-made suggestions reflect that,” she said.

“Stourbridge is a testing program and we will receive feedback from dealers and residents on what they think of this sub-program.

“The funds we have received will allow us to create something that is much more visually appealing and improves the appearance of the main streets in two of our city centers.”