AFTER seeing some aerial photographs of the recently unveiled ‘Broad Meadow’, I initially felt rather underwhelmed, writes Liam Rice.

A lot of noise was made about this project by the city council, leading to high expectations on my part.

Before I arrived to speak to local businesses and residents using the new space, I anticipated I’d be walking into something of a damp squib.

However, I was wrong – the aerial view fails to do the space justice.

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Broad Street feels fresh and clean, with more than enough seating for people using the coffee shops and cafes.

Businesses seem upbeat on the impact Broad Meadow will have on their trade and it’s easy to see why.

I could easily kill half an hour grabbing a coffee and a snack – depending on the weather obviously.

Logistically there is probably only one area of concern, from what I could see.

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The pedestrianisation of half of the street still allows cyclists to go through however I’m not entirely sure it would be the safest thing to do.

As the meadow is open and spacious, I don’t think there’s ample room for cyclists to whizz through that side of Broad Street anymore.

Realistically though, that’s insignificant if businesses do see an increase in trade.

It will be interesting as to how Broad Meadow pans out over the coming weeks and months, which is why we should all have our say in the city council’s online consultation.