Putting The Prosperous Back In Stratford's Prospero Place
Stratford District Council (SDC) is giving some love to the heart of Stratford by making upgrades to Prospero Place - the town centre, and is calling for community feedback on the draft designs.
From humble beginnings as a small town square tucked away and out of view from the main highway, to the prominent green space now taking centre stage in our Shakespearean town under the mountain, the time has come to turn this into a thriving and welcoming area for locals and visitors alike.
Director Community Services, Kate Whareaitu says, 'Prospero Place has evolved substantially in the last 6 years and it's exciting to get stuck into developing a more fit for purpose community space.'
'We've been monitoring how the town centre is currently used, and asking questions of regular users and neighbouring businesses, which has led to the draft designs now available for public comment,' says Kate. 'We think we've landed on a design that will be practical while pleasing to the eye, but we're keen to hear from our community and those passing by too.'
'This is their opportunity to tell us if we've prioritised design elements that reflect our community's needs and wants, before we get down to the finer details and lock in design materials,' she says.
To see the draft designs and share your views, visit YourSay.Stratford.govt.nz/Prospero-Place or pop by the Stratford Library and Visitor Information Centre to look at the drawings up close and have a conversation with staff.
Feedback is open until 13 July. After which, the project team will collate comments and determine any changes required to the design for final approval by Elected Members. It's anticipated that a final design will be complete in September, and physical work is due to begin during the summer months.
Visitors to YourSay.Stratford.govt.nz/Prospero-Place can also ask questions about the project, answer quick polls and share their own memories of Prospero Place through the years. For those new to Stratford, there's photos of what the area used to look like, a walk down memory lane for those who've been in the community for several years. We'd also love to hear from anyone that might have old footage of the town centre tucked away in their home archives so it can be added to Stratford's Heritage Collection online at Stratford.recollect.co.nz
Project background
Towards the end of 2016 Stratford District Council launched Stratford 2035 – Making it Real, which was an integrated approach to Stratford's long term future. This included the Future of Broadway project, focusing on the revitalisation of Prospero Place and Broadway.
Over subsequent years, the project has changed in scope due to changes in land use in the area, such as the demolition of the ANZ bank and land next to Prospero Place becoming available. More recently, concept plans have been drawn up to determine the best use of Prospero Place and surrounding town centre areas.
SDC is now at the stage of bringing the concept plans for Prospero Place to life through detailed designs that reflect the changes in the way that the space is used by the community.
The project's budget is $1.2 million and is being delivered across the first 3 years of the Long Term Plan 2024-34.
The project supports SDC's vision of a Welcoming, Inclusive and Safe Community – Te Pumanawa o Taranaki.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
3 days ago
- Scoop
Putting The Prosperous Back In Stratford's Prospero Place
Stratford District Council (SDC) is giving some love to the heart of Stratford by making upgrades to Prospero Place - the town centre, and is calling for community feedback on the draft designs. From humble beginnings as a small town square tucked away and out of view from the main highway, to the prominent green space now taking centre stage in our Shakespearean town under the mountain, the time has come to turn this into a thriving and welcoming area for locals and visitors alike. Director Community Services, Kate Whareaitu says, 'Prospero Place has evolved substantially in the last 6 years and it's exciting to get stuck into developing a more fit for purpose community space.' 'We've been monitoring how the town centre is currently used, and asking questions of regular users and neighbouring businesses, which has led to the draft designs now available for public comment,' says Kate. 'We think we've landed on a design that will be practical while pleasing to the eye, but we're keen to hear from our community and those passing by too.' 'This is their opportunity to tell us if we've prioritised design elements that reflect our community's needs and wants, before we get down to the finer details and lock in design materials,' she says. To see the draft designs and share your views, visit or pop by the Stratford Library and Visitor Information Centre to look at the drawings up close and have a conversation with staff. Feedback is open until 13 July. After which, the project team will collate comments and determine any changes required to the design for final approval by Elected Members. It's anticipated that a final design will be complete in September, and physical work is due to begin during the summer months. Visitors to can also ask questions about the project, answer quick polls and share their own memories of Prospero Place through the years. For those new to Stratford, there's photos of what the area used to look like, a walk down memory lane for those who've been in the community for several years. We'd also love to hear from anyone that might have old footage of the town centre tucked away in their home archives so it can be added to Stratford's Heritage Collection online at Project background Towards the end of 2016 Stratford District Council launched Stratford 2035 – Making it Real, which was an integrated approach to Stratford's long term future. This included the Future of Broadway project, focusing on the revitalisation of Prospero Place and Broadway. Over subsequent years, the project has changed in scope due to changes in land use in the area, such as the demolition of the ANZ bank and land next to Prospero Place becoming available. More recently, concept plans have been drawn up to determine the best use of Prospero Place and surrounding town centre areas. SDC is now at the stage of bringing the concept plans for Prospero Place to life through detailed designs that reflect the changes in the way that the space is used by the community. The project's budget is $1.2 million and is being delivered across the first 3 years of the Long Term Plan 2024-34. The project supports SDC's vision of a Welcoming, Inclusive and Safe Community – Te Pumanawa o Taranaki.
Scoop
30-04-2025
- Scoop
Taranaki Councils Seek Public Input On Options To Deliver Future Water Services
New Plymouth, Stratford and South Taranaki district councils are proposing to team up to establish a regional council-controlled organisation to deliver future drinking water and wastewater services to Taranaki residents, with public feedback opening today. The regional Water Services Council-Controlled Organisation (WSCCO) is the proposed option the three councils are seeking community input on, as each Council looks to meet the government's Local Water Done Well (LWDW) strategy to tackle New Zealand's water infrastructure issues. While the regionwide organisation is the proposed way to deliver the safe, reliable and affordable services required under LWDW, the councils have put up other options as well. All three have an option to continue delivering all water services (including stormwater) through an in-house business unit, similar to what they do now but with some changes to meet new legislative requirements. Additionally, NPDC is consulting on an option for its own WSCCO. Taranaki Mayoral Forum chair and Stratford District Council Mayor, Neil Volzke says the councils started looking at a range of options in March last year, a big part of the discussion being what a joint water services model could look like in Taranaki. 'What was clear from the extensive investigations was that, by working together a regional model was a viable option well worth looking at and this has become the proposed model for each council.' He says reforming water services is a significant and complex issue with a range of advantages and disadvantages inherent in every model being considered. 'This is an incredibly important decision, probably one of the biggest that we have faced in many years which is why it will be important to hear from our communities on what they believe is the best long-term option.' Due to the nature of stormwater services, including it being influenced by other council services, such as roads, parks and land management, and growth planning, stormwater will continue to be delivered by each council. To find out more and ways to have your say go to each council's website: Stratford District Council: New Plymouth District Council: South Taranaki District Council. Submissions close 5pm, Friday 30 May. Fast Facts Local Water Done Well is the Government's plan to tackle New Zealand's water infrastructure issues. It recognises local decision-making and flexibility, allowing councils to choose to deliver water services on their own or with other councils. All councils must submit a draft Water Services Delivery Plan to the Department of Internal Affairs for approval, 3 September 2025.
Scoop
28-04-2025
- Scoop
Waste-busting Idea? Stratford District Council's Ready With Funds!
It's time for individuals, community organisations, and not-for-profits to put on their thinking caps (recycled, of course). Through their $25,000 annual Waste Levy Fund, Stratford District Council has financial support available for new projects that can measurably avoid, reduce, recycle, recover, or reuse waste in the Stratford district. Applications are open now and close on 25 May 2025. 'The Waste Levy Fund opened in 2023, and since then we've helped some great community waste reduction projects get off the ground,' says Peter McNamara, SDC Waste & Water Education Officer. 'From composting systems and kai gardens for local kura, to a mobile recycling station for Whangamōmona events; it's clear we've got a resourceful community out there who really cares about tackling waste.' Funding's available for projects both big and small, as long as the total amount required doesn't exceed the $25,000 in the fund. Successful projects could include activities, equipment and infrastructure that diverts or reuses waste from landfill, as well as research, education and behaviour change programmes. But Peter encourages people to be innovative, too. 'The application criteria's pretty open, because we know making a real dent in the volume of resources and waste going into landfill will take lots of different people and organisations thinking creatively – I know I probably won't have all the good ideas myself,' laughs Peter. The Waste Levy Fund was created using money allocated to SDC through the Government's national waste disposal levy. The national levy raises funds for waste minimisation in Aotearoa New Zealand. Information about the fund, eligibility criteria, and how to apply, can be found at
