4.2 Village Centre/Memorial Square Area 2.

The village centre as envisaged by the Parish Plan Steering Group is the centrepiece of the village enhancement. It is designed to follow through the proposals for Church Street in its continuation of the paved footpaths, and at the same time open up the centre of the village as a true village square.
The two paved areas, protected by bollards, will continue down Church Street, but at a point approximately 50 metres from St Matthew's Church, it is proposed that the whole area will be paved over, although bollards will still protect the pedestrian only area.
The paved area will extend westwards down towards Steeple End Fold as far as the Skillet restaurant. The area from the chip shop to the Art Gallery will have a gradually widening paved area, and thence the whole street paved over, level, across to the restaurant on the east side of the street. The area outside St Matthew's Church will also be part of the paved area, and the unsightly cobbling on the bridge removed.
Over the bridge, the area, now unadopted in front of the Cenotaph will be paved as far as the river access and the alley up to Kinder Road. The lower part of Bank Street will be included, as will the existing paved area in front of the Parish Council Offices.
The complete street paving will extend as far as the end of the Bearpits, when the paved path will continue along the east side of Market Street up towards Swallow House Lane. The footpath in front of the 3 storey dwellings opposite the Post Office will also be paved, although there will need to be some serious engineering study to bring the pavements to street level.
It is also intended to replace the existing sodium street light with more appropriate lighting for the picturesque village centre, as has been done in other areas, notably Marple Bridge.
The net effect of the paved areas, from Church Street through to the centre of the village, is intended to have a serious calming effect on traffic, whilst at the same time enhancing the safety of pedestrians. The presence of street bollards marking the pedestrian areas will afford a much greater degree of protection than exists at the present time. In other built-up environments, a unformed paved area signals to traffic that there is a mix of pedestrian and vehicular use, and of itself brings about a marked degree of traffic calming.
Visually too, the effect of a paved area from building to building without the visual division of pavement, curb, tarmac, curb and pavement, creates an enhanced sense of space. Not only that, but access for the disabled, those in wheelchairs and mothers with prams and toddlers, becomes much easier and less problematical, and does not depend on finding dropped kerbs, often inconveniently located.
The scheme is ambitious, and may take some time to achieve, but we believe it will be a major asset in enhancing the village. The funding will be considerable, but not more than has been spent in other areas of Derbyshire or indeed in the High Peak. As one well-known resident remarked on seeing the plans on the following pages: 'I never realised until now what a potentially beautiful village we lived in. This makes us a world-class site."

PLANS

Action:
Hayfield Village Action Group
Hayfield Parish Council
High Peak Borough Council
Derbyshire County Council

Funding:
Grant awarding bodies
Some contribution from relevant local authorities.