Castle Street

The £1.6 million public realm enhancement project by our Cheshire East Highways team transformed what was a tired looking town centre street into an invigorated area which now has renewed vibrancy and increased alfresco activity.

This was achieved by renewing the focus on the pedestrian rather than the motor vehicle with measures such as narrowing the carriageway, introducing natural stone on widened footways and reducing street clutter. We even incorporated into the streetscene, words from a poem A Love Letter to Macc compiled by Jacqui Wood, artistic director of local community arts organisation Arc, and compiled from words written by Macclesfield residents to celebrate everything they love about the town.

Not only has the scheme greatly improved this key town centre street, it has also helped encourage further investment in neighbouring private property – with £7m of investment and 50 jobs created by new businesses along Castle Street recently.

We were also keen to maximise the social value of the six-month project. As part of this, we gave surplus materials to local allotments, donated the onsite printer to Macclesfield Citizen Advice Centre and we used local suppliers where possible.

We also ensured two local apprentices worked full-time on the scheme so their career development involved working on a unique – and now award-winning - project.

Integrity, collaboration and excellence are at the core of Ringway Jacobs’ values and our staff at Cheshire East Highways have brought these to life in Castle Street.