Project value: £4.98m

Project theme: transport

The St Paul’s Square public realm project will involve a comprehensive redevelopment of the square and Harpur Square to support a variety of outdoor events, activities and performances with the objective of improving visitor experience, increasing vibrancy and footfall and diversifying the town centre’s offer to promote Bedford as a destination.

The project will create an attractive, more accessible square by improving the public realm. This will involve permanently closing the road link at St Paul’s Square and widening the pedestrian pathways to allow greater capacity for outdoor events and promote pedestrian movement between St Paul’s Square and the Cultural Quarter and Riverside Bedford. Harpur Square will be repaved and plinths removed to create a larger and more flexible public space for events and activities.

Event infrastructure at Harpur Square will also be provided including lighting improvements and the introduction of water supply for event use. A new segregated cycleway will also be implemented to encourage active travel and additional lighting will be provided.

The two road lanes on the High Street will be maintained and the pedestrian island will be realigned at The Embankment to suit vehicle tracking movements and avoid congestion.

View the St Paul's Square project plan (PDF).