The new heart of Ramsey town centre will be officially unveiled on Saturday 6 July.
Chief Minister Allan Bell will open the public space around the Courthouse gardens in his capacity as Chairman of the Ramsey Regeneration Committee. The ceremony at 11am marks the latest development in the programme to revitalise Ramsey’s central retail area and follows other key regeneration projects such as improvements to The Lanes.
The design of the Courthouse scheme focuses on creating better defined spaces for pedestrians, constructed using high quality materials. New benches, lighting and signage have been introduced, complimented by the installation of a relocated piece of public art provided by Ramsey Town Commissioners. The official opening will take place during Ramsey’s National Week, a celebration of Island pride that is now in its 11th year.
The Chief Minister said:
‘I am delighted with the transformation of this central part of Ramsey. The finishing touches that have now been added really bring the area to life and people are using the space much more which is what the Ramsey Regeneration Committee set out to achieve. Growing the economy is one of Government’s national priorities and upgrading the infrastructure of our town and village centres supports this by attracting more visitors and encouraging them to stay longer. I would like to thank everyone involved in bringing this scheme to fruition. It has been a process driven by collaboration between government, the local authority and local business and I am sure that it is this partnership that has led to the success of the project.’
Ramsey Town Commissioners Chairman Captain Nigel Malpass said:
‘What better time than during our national week to celebrate the completion of this latest phase in the regeneration of Ramsey town centre. National week is all about pride in our Island and regeneration has the power to encourage civic pride. The transformation of the Courthouse grounds into a focal point for the centre of Ramsey is a clear demonstration of effective partnership working between central and local government and I should also like to take this opportunity to thank local businesses and the people of Ramsey for their patience these past few months. The works caused some disruption but I believe the end result amply bears out the adage “no pain, no gain”. At a time when businesses and retailers are having to adapt to new economic realities it is vital that town centres be revitalised to create an environment that will help deliver prosperity. I believe the regenerated Courthouse grounds send out an unequivocal message that Ramsey is very much open for business.’
In addition to the main schemes, the Regeneration Fund provides financial support towards external improvements to commercial buildings located within the Regeneration Areas. This is helping to further enhance the appearance and quality of the Island’s town and village centres.
