A HISTORIC day is nearly upon us.

Whether or not you support the £1.6million regeneration of the Market Place in Cirencester, it is clear that the start of the 50-year-old project is a momentous occasion.

Now those in charge of the development have announced that workmen are firing up their diggers and hefting their shovels for the official start of the revamp on Monday, February 22.

The project revolves around pedestrianizing half of the Market Place so both lanes of traffic travel down one side of the street, which will allow more space for markets and community events.

Castle Street will also become one way, stopping ‘rat-run’ style traffic flows and making Market Place a lot quieter.

The regeneration is expected to run until late October, with temporary traffic lights in various parts of the Market Place over the whole period.

Although the work has not found favour with everyone, notably some Market Place traders, Cirencester Town Council hopes their project will revamp an area that has seen little attention for several years.

Project manager Simon Large, owner of Magna, based in Park Lane, told the Standard they had done all they could to keep the Market Place functioning normally, including a rule that workmen must not work on pavement in front of more than four shops at any time.

“Obviously it will be some impact on the shops but we hope it is not too much. I think it’s the right thing for the town and it’s good they are using local talent,” he said.

Swindon contractors Milbrooke are joined on the job by Cirencester engineers Infrastructure Design Studio and Cirencester landscaper architects Portus & Whitton.

Works bosses assuaged concerns there would be less parking spaces, saying there would be the same number ‘over the entire week’, as a relocated market stalls will no longer cover spaces on market days.