The public consultation event held at the Frenchgate Centre in Doncaster on Saturday, 14 June 2008 was well received by visitors and formed part of an ongoing campaign keeping residents and interested parties informed about the plans. The focus of the event was to invite comment on Doncaster’s public square, which will be a major attraction in the new Civic and Cultural Quarter.
Over 500 people attended the event offering their views on the space and more than 40 people completed a questionnaire and designed their ideal square in a special workshop.
Visitors suggested it was essential that there should be a central focus to the square such as a water feature or public art. Tree planting and imaginative lighting were also considered important elements of the space. Most importantly, people thought the new square needed to be a place where you could sit and relax while retaining a certain amount of vibrancy as part of the new quarter.
Visitors were of the opinion that there needed to be a balance between soft and hard surfaces but maintaining a degree of flexibility so it becomes an excellent year round destination. The majority of people also thought the space would be an ideal space for hosting events and attracting new talent and performances to the town, particularly in relation to the new performance venue.
There were also many comments about the development as a whole, the vast majority of which were extremely positive. The general feeling was that the new quarter will be an excellent addition to Doncaster's town centre and will help the town to compete with regional centres such as Sheffield and Leeds.
Designs are currently being worked on for the public square and will be released in due course.
