The entrance to Merthyr Tydfil High Street was, by common consent, ill-defined, uninviting, traffic-choked and intimidating. Our challenge was to transform it into a café quarter; an open, welcoming community space that could serve as a focal point and allow people to come together, complementing our work in Merthyr to improve the River Taff Corridor.

We created a new square, making the public fundamental to the consultation process, so that not only would the result relate to, but be ‘owned by’ its users: vital for success. The walls blocking St Tydfil Church were replaced with a broad and visually arresting set of gently sloping steps – ideal for sitting. Vehicular access to the High Street was restricted. Frontages were refurbished. Stunning paving brought a contemporary edge. The town’s history was referenced in bespoke bronze art: from street lamps and pavement panels to bollards and benches. Restaurants and cafes were designed and opened. The Lucy Thomas fountain, revealed and refurbished, turns a focus of vandalism into a focus of hope.

The new square has successfully hosted a continental market and an ‘Icetravaganza’ at Christmas, exactly the focus the Council were aiming for. The space thrives, people congregate, and the vandalism and graffiti, prevalent before, have all but ceased.

Not a place to stop and enjoy. The entrance to Merthyr Tydfil High Street was, by common consent, ill-defined, uninviting, traffic-choked and intimidating. Dominated by youths, vandalised, in urgent need of regeneration, no-where to stop, it was the only solution on offer as a point of relief for the narrow, bustling high street which quite simply provided nowhere for its pedestrians to go. Our challenge was to transform it into a café quarter, and an open, welcoming community space that could serve as a focal point, and allow people to come together.

The key was creating a new square that people could be proud of, that related to them, and that they could ‘own’. Central to this was making the public fundamental to the consultation process, so ensuring it was relevant to them at every turn, and ‘theirs’ once created.

Initially design concepts, ideas and options were displayed for public consideration, followed by a presentation dedicated to traffic and access issues. Prior to tender of the works, details of the designed response to public queries and concerns, the construction programme, access requirements and artwork proposals were all presented. In addition to public consultation, regular presentations were made to the Town Partnership Committee, consisting of representatives from the police, local dignitaries, shop owners and public bodies. During construction, the contractor was charged with attending monthly traders’ meetings and keeping interested parties informed of progress, in conjunction with Austin-Smith:Lord. The intensity of the consultation process was deemed invaluable by all concerned. It smoothed and eased project management and construction on site, and resulted in a scheme which has been extremely well received by Merthyr.

The walls shutting off the approach to St Tydfil Church were replaced with a broad and visually striking set of gentle sloping steps – ideal for sitting. This greatly softened the square, opening the previously severe approach to the church across a wide stretch. The result draws the church into the square, involves it, frames instead of distances it. We achieved restriction of vehicular access to the High Street during key hours through electronic bollards, vastly improving the pedestrian zone. Frontages were refurbished and given a new lease of life; cafés and a restaurant opened. Stunning paving brought a contemporary edge: beautiful granite and rich natural local Pennant stone worked together; contrasting bands of smooth ground flags cutting across mixed setts and striking through steps, just as coal seams through the local rock strata. The town’s mining history is referenced in other ways too. It was important to pay homage to Merthyr’s past at the very same time as helping it to move on.

For this reason design development was a collaborative process between landscape architect and artist, to create fully integrated design that was unique to Merthyr. Following a competitive tender, Midas Art was appointed to produce bronze bollards, seats, pavement panels and railings. These elements have imprints of bracken at their base, in recognition of the vegetation which decayed to form coal measures, grading upward to deciduous leaves found in the leafy square today.

The Lucy Thomas fountain had been hidden behind hedges, and had become a congregating place for local youths, subject to both graffiti and vandalism, perhaps an obvious focus of frustration for a town still suffering from the loss of its mining industry. Somehow this statue, commemorating the first female coal miner, had to resume its role as centrepiece, and reflect some of the hope brought by the investment and change taking place in the town, instead of desperation. It was revealed, refurbished, better lit, and the hedges removed. Thankfully, barring minor isolated incidents, the damage to it has ceased, an incredibly important and encouraging sign.

Perceptions change. The early cynicism in response to the plan has been replaced by enthusiasm and positivity as a fully realised, active, working square plays its part in the progress of the town. The square has successfully hosted Christmas and trade fairs The cafes thrive. It is, without doubt, a place to stop and enjoy. The new square has successfully hosted a continental market and at Christmas, an 'Icetravaganza', involving a synthetic ice rink, Santa’s Grotto and more: exactly the focus the town needed. The space thrives, people congregate, and the vandalism and graffiti, prevalent before, have all but ceased. The scheme was runner up in the Local Government New Street Design Awards 2009, won a gold standard award at the British Council for Shopping Centres (BCSC) National Town Centre Environment Awards, and the Regeneration Networks Award 2009 at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Planning Convention.

Our associations with Merthyr Tydfil go beyond the Lower High Street. Austin-Smith:Lord was commissioned by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council to produce an Urban Design and Landscape Strategy to remove the perception of the River Taff Corridor as a barrier to movement, integrate the east and west of the town, and improve the physical environment of the River Taff Corridor, developing the river as an attraction on its own right. Phases 1 and 2 have been completed. Due to the popularity of the works undertaken to date, Phase 3 is now being planned.