Why are improvements necessary?

The environment around the centre of the village is currently of low quality with its heart dominated by rough land used for car parking and a large double roundabout on the site of the old village crossroads.

It is not pedestrian friendly and is a poor setting for Pool’s many historic and attractive buildings. A principal objective is to restore the Village’s heart, damaged by roadwork’s and unsympathetic rebuilding for much of it recent history.

   Arena view of the Heartlands Project

What will be planned for the Village Centre Improvements?

All works will be respectful of the village’s heritage and special character. The principal areas created or improved will be:

• A new high quality village green to provide Pool with a central meeting space.
  
  
• An improved double mini roundabout, this is currently a very dominant and unsightly feature of the village centre. It will be made into an attractive road junction crowned with a major new public art work to help reinstate its lost ‘sense of place.’
  
  
• To make better pedestrian and cycle provision between both the village and its surrounding areas, and within the village itself, by developing improved pedestrian routes to community facilities and cycle routes.
  
  
• To improve the villages most historic and central streets. This will be achieved with improved and sympathetic new lighting. Paving that uses traditional materials – granite setts and paving will be used for the most important areas. Car parking arrangements will be fully integrated into the improvements with the number of overall spaces at least maintained. Existing areas of planting will be redesigned to a high standard and a limited number of new landscape improvements areas will be created in key places, such as the entrance area to Pool School.
  
  
• Create a new bold link between the village and new attractions at Robinson’s Shaft through remodelling the existing courtyard off Station Road as a gateway between the village and Robinson’s Shaft.