Midlothian Council has announced that Dalkeith High Street is set to benefit from a £1.2million project which will commence in autumn 2010.

The Environmental Improvements project will make the High Street more pedestrian friendly. Funding for the Dalkeith Environmental Improvements includes £800,000 from the Town Centre Regeneration Fund (TCRF), up to £354,146 from the THI & CARS Common Fund to pay for the conservation elements of the work and £123,750 from Midlothian Council.

The project will deliver a number of improvements to the High Street including extended pavements, formalised parking areas, service layby areas and a new pedestrian crossing.

Pedestrians, particularly wheelchair users and those with pushchairs, will benefit from the widening of pavements along the western end of High Street. These footpaths will be extended using traditional materials and stone paving.

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Formalised parking areas and service layby areas will be created using traditional materials. These stopping spaces will benefit local businesses, for example by providing easy parking access for shoppers and loading areas for suppliers.

A new pedestrian crossing will be installed across the High Street near Wilson’s Close. This crossing will be raised to allow users to easily cross the road. The raised crossing has the added benefit of acting as a traffic calming measure.

It is anticipated that work will commence in autumn 2010 and will be completed in early 2011. The schedule of work will take into account the Christmas trading period. During the works the High Street will be closed to traffic with access maintained for business deliveries. Additionally, access to the High Street from Eskdale Street and North Wynd will not be permitted during the works.

Councillor Russell Imrie, Midlothian Council Cabinet Spokesperson, said: “It will be exciting to see the first steps of the environmental improvements in Dalkeith taking shape in autumn 2010. This £1.2million project is designed to improve safety on Dalkeith High Street while improving access to local businesses.

“A programme of consultation has been conducted to inform members of the public and local business of the planned improvements. Feedback from these meetings was taken into account as part of the project planning process. The team took this feedback on board and made some alterations to the final plans as a result.”

The public will be informed of the final proposals and any temporary adjustments to the road network in Dalkeith prior to the project commencing.

(GK/KMcA)