A Wiltshire town council has applied for £40,000 in funding to upgrade the town centre over the next two years.
In October, Marlborough Town Council submitted an application to Wiltshire Council for £20,000 in funding each year for the remainder of 2024 and 2025, under the Wiltshire Towns Programme.
If successful in its bid, the town council will use the funding to create a “vision document” for the town centre and tackle the “weed issue” that is reportedly plaguing the area.
The money would also be used to improve the look of the town centre by running a ‘blooming Marlborough’ floral competition.
Other areas that have been earmarked for improvement include road safety, the market, and the pedestrian links between the railway path, business park, and town centre.
These latest plans for upgrading Marlborough come two years after a survey asking residents for their opinions on the town centre and what could be done to improve it.
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During those two years, the town council has been working to address complaints like traffic issues and elements of the street scene being “shabby”.
Work to combat traffic has included engaging with partners on a traffic study, piloting a residents’ parking scheme, and lowering speed limits.
There have also been efforts to “spruce up” the town centre by ordering replacement or improved signage and visitor information, adding new seating and planters, and making tourism information more accessible.
The town council has also created nature trails and riverside seating to try and link the town centre to the River Kennet.
Residents have been encouraged to continue to share their views on the area moving forward, with members of the public likely to be consulted on future solutions to improve the town.
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The town council has emphasised that it will take these views into account and has used the 2022 survey to inform its work so far.
A spokesperson said: “We used the results of the survey to help shape long term plans for Marlborough, and to identify priorities for residents when we applied for funding available to help make short term improvements
“We hope, having seen that we not only listened to what people said in 2022, but also incorporated their comments into our projects and everyday priorities, that residents and businesses in the town will see that we are certainly not complacent.”
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