HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds will be spent to transform a busy road leading to Windsor Castle into a ‘pedestrian first zone’.

A number of works will be scheduled this year at Castle Hill and St Alban’s Street to improve visitor experience, drive economic growth, and provide additional safety measures for residents and tourists.

Some of the works include widening the pavement on the southern (shops) side of the road, installing a protective gate behind the Queen Victoria statue to aid pedestrian safety, and adding bollards at the end of St Alban’s Street with its junction with Castle Hill – with two-way vehicles access from the junction with Park Street.

The protective gate would be opened outside of castle visitor hours, meaning businesses on Castle Hill would still be able to receive deliveries.

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New dropped kerbs and raised tables will be added to improve accessibility for those with mobility difficulties.

In total, the improvements could cost about £1.5m, but a majority of funding has come from the Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, as well as developer contributions.

The work will be delivered in four phases in order to minimise disruption, starting in March. A summer pause could take place in July and August as well as during the King’s coronation in May.

The phases are as follows:

  • Work on the northern (castle) side of Castle Hill is scheduled to start in mid-March and run until around May with the plan to retain, clean and repair if necessary the existing Yorkstone pavement and replace the road surface with a granite block finish. Access to Henry VIII gate and the advance gate will be retained
  • The second phase, on the southern (shops) side of Castle Hill, will commence on completion of phase one. This will see the introduction of a far wider pavement with new Yorkstone paving as well as new high velocity vehicle mitigation measures and a gate. Access to businesses will be maintained with work taking place outside of opening hours where necessary
  • Phase three, at the junction of Castle Hill and St Alban’s Street, is scheduled to start in September and complete in November, and consist of further granite laying, the introduction of bollards and a raised crossing point to the castle visitor entrance
  • The final phase will commence on completion of phase three and will see the completion of pedestrian walkways either side of the carriageway down St Alban’s Street.

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Senior councillors approved the works at Thursday’s cabinet meeting following a public consultation, which saw a majority of respondents supporting the proposed design.

Cllr Phil Haseler, lead member for highways and transport, said: “We want to improve the visitor experience in this area, thereby encouraging dwell time and increasing the number of people supporting our local businesses in the historic heart of our borough. I hope these changes lead to an increase in the amount of visitor spend within the town, benefiting businesses and the local economy.”