Environmental and traffic improvements.

5. Union Street

* Important shopping street connecting town centre with The Esplanade;

* Attractive views across The Solent to the north;

* Regency properties and predominance of independent retail outlets provide unique character;

* Short-term on-street car parking impedes pedestrian movement;

* Opportunities for encouraging outdoor seating at bars and cafes by widening footways/ narrowing carriageway. Footway widening especially important at The Esplanade junction;

* Traffic calming and rationalisation of car parking into parking bays and footway widening would reduce visual dominance of cars and carriageway;

* Potential to provide special treatment to footway as a setting to buildings such as Royal Victoria Arcade and Bravinger’s Arcade to draw attention to their architectural importance. It would be preferable to use natural stone throughout these areas;

* Overhead Christmas/summer decorative lighting is currently tired in appearance;

* Potential for lighting which is discrete and contemporary in style;

* Street furniture and lighting should be black and contemporary in style. Contemporary interpretations of heritage designs are not recommended;

* Opportunities for enhancing pedestrian permeability of the area with new/improved links connecting Union Street to Union Road and Church Lane.

6. Cross Street

* Secondary commercial street, connecting George Street with St Thomas’s Square;

* Concentration of Victorian properties and predominance of small independent shops and catering outlets give street a distinct character;

* Traffic calming through narrowing of carriageway and widening of pavements would improve the visual scale of the street;

* Replacement of mixed style of concrete flag stones with pre-cast concrete paving with a natural finish would enhance historic character and reinforce the importance of this area as a gateway to the town centre;

* Street furniture and lighting should be black and follow a standard range;

* Contemporary interpretations of heritage designs are not recommended;

* Important vista towards Thomas’s Square to the west. This view should be considered in any designs for Thomas’s Square.

7. Star Street (Cinema – George Street)

* Short section of street with a mixture of uses and architectural forms and styles. Lacks visual cohesion and is dominated by traffic;

* Opportunity to widen footways/ reduce carriageway widths to calm traffic flow and
enhance pedestrian environment and safety;

* Use of high quality pre cast concrete paving would enhance historic character and reinforce the importance of this area as a gateway to the town centre; Opportunity to enhance entrance to Iceland car park with replacement boundary treatment (wall and railings) and tree planting;Important to enhance junction of George Street and Star Street. Consider opportunity to reduce width of George
Street carriageway.