The Old Market Square, it could be so much better

The Old Market Square, potentially one of the best open public spaces in my home city of Nottingham. A place that has been redeveloped many times over the years and has probably cost millions during that time.

Last night I saw a post online asking if we could have the old style Market Square from the 70s back, and this got me thinking. There is really nothing wrong with the design of the Old Market Square (apart from no public toilets) today. The problem is how it’s being used, managed and maintained by whoever is responsible for it.

The last time it was redeveloped they built a fantastic water feature and fountains which for a number of years looked amazing but the council didn’t pay to maintain them properly. So when inevitably they broke the council said it couldn’t afford to fix them and now they just stand dry, broken and a bit of an eye saw to anyone visiting this historical place.

Then there are the events that take place here. It’s a city centre location that’s easy to get to via great transport links, huge in size so lots of people can fit in, surrounded by shops , bars and cafes and all that seems to go on there is the annual “Nottingham Beach” in the summer and the “Christmas Market” in the winter. The rest of the year the place sits largely empty and unused by anyone. Why not put on events and entertainment for residents and visitors to the city. If these events were of a good enough standard surly they would bring people in and those people would spend money in the city centre so everyone would benefit.

So no, lets not harp after what was there in the past, lets make much better use of what we have now and turn it into a world beating showcase for our great city before it’s too late.