Concept:
Groundwork was approached by the Co-operative to implement a new seating/garden area funded by the Central England’s Coop carrier bag levy fund. The Dodworth store was chosen as one of four pilot projects across the Central England Co-operative Region to help create a sustainable society for all.
The store itself was also refurbished and modernised at the same time as the project was implemented.
The site sits on the corner of High Street and Barnsley Road in Dodworth Town centre, it is in two halves either side of an existing wall. Half of the scheme sat inside the car park area itself and was an existing overgrown planted slope with two parking spaces. The area on the front of High Street was a paved hardstanding containing a town council planter. The area owned and maintained by the Coop was defined by the change in paving the bitmac pavement is owned by BMBC Highways.
The proposal removed the parking bays and regrading of the slope to create an accessible entrance into the new community space and the store beyond. The sustainable space includes a community garden area full of edible and sensory plant species, a new picnic space, fruit trees and community artwork by artist Adrian
Moakes. The road side contains ground level and raised planting beds and new seating including a ‘happy to chat’ bench to help combat social isolation.
