More details have been revealed of the proposed changes to Guisborough town centre as part of a major revamp.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council (RCBC) was awarded £15.5m of levelling-up funds by the previous government for the scheme, and Guisborough Town Pride has now been able to give more information.

On Westgate, in the centre of the town, it proposed to remove several of the stone planters and replace them with seating or cobbles. The stone planters to be removed include those in front of the Dwela Estate Agency and Clarks shoe shop to change the levels of the cobbles, one in front of Sunnyfield House for a seating area, and those in front of Heron’s store and Cookfellas restaurant, to be removed to improve the parking area.

On the other side of Westgate, it is proposed to move the stone planter in front of the King’s Head pub for a seating area, and for the half-wooden barrel on the corner of Westgate and New Road to be removed for new seating area. The planter in front of Cooplands Bakery is to be removed to improve parking.

However, the stone planter with roses outside 38 Westgate will be retained, as will the four stone planters at the pedestrian crossing near Greggs. The five trees in each of these planters will be retained.

This work would be in conjunction with a planting plan for the area. All the 30 existing trees on Westgate will be retained, and new trees are planned for the driveway to the library outside the Ironstone Miner pub, one outside Dwela Estate Agency, one in front of the HSBC Bank, one in front of Cookfellas Restaurant, and one outside the Koselig Café, as part of a larger planting area.

In Chaloner Street, four trees are shown to be planted in the paved areas, also with larger planted areas. A raised planter is to be placed outside the Brass Monkey bar at the junction with Westgate. The two existing trees in Fountain Street will be retained but will have extra ornamental planting areas surrounding them.

RCBC had commissioned designers to reimagine Westgate and Chaloner Street as part of the public realm works. Ryder Architecture sought views on the concept proposals through April and May and their report is shown on the council planning file.

Full details of these proposals are shown on the council website on planning application number R/2024/0422/F3M. These proposals were subject to public consultation until August 6, and some 52 replies were received. The planning application will eventually come before the RCBC Regulatory Committee for a decision. Subject to approval, work on these proposals is scheduled to start this winter.

Meanwhile, work has ceased on the levelling-up programme on Bakehouse Square. The only work completed there has been the extended pavement around the Town Hall.