RESIDENTS in Hampshire are being called to vote for their favourite buildings and public spaces in the Solent.

Voting is now open for the Solent Quality Place awards in the ‘People’s Choice’ category. Seven locations, including ancient monuments, university buildings, residential suburbs and public spaces, across the Solent have been shortlisted for the award.

Market Place in Romsey has made the final seven and is now counting on the vote of Romsey locals. The winner of the People’s Choice Award will be announced in October alongside the ‘Quality Place Judges Award’- the judges’ overall winner of the most outstanding scheme of all the 2022 entries.

The Romsey finalist is home to various buisnesses and events such as Cafe Fresh, Romsey Country Market, The White Horse Hotel and the renowned Romsey Bed Race. The market centre is also the base of a statue of Lord Palmerston, a 19th century Prime Minister who once lived in the market town.

The square was created by the collaborative efforts of Hampshire County Council, Test Valley Borough Council and Romsey Town Council, incorporating level surfaces, widened footways and improved surface water drainage. Improvements include new seating, bins, cycle parking, and planting to improve residents’ experience of the space. 

Since the revamp has been carried out, new cafés and a public house have opened in Market Place.

The judges agreed that the improvements create an accessible, attractive, cleaner, livelier, and safer town centre with an improved street scene to widen the town’s appeal and increase its economic viability and vitality.

Julian Gee, president of the Romsey & District Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: "We were delighted to hear that the Market Place has been shortlisted for this award. It shows what a good job the designers and developers of the scheme have done in creating a vibrant space in the centre of Romsey, which is now a pleasure to spend time in. We are sure from the sheer number of people and traders using it every day, that it's real asset to everyone who lives in or visits our town and it is surely worthy of such an award".

Daily Echo: Romsey Market Place

The full list of contenders for the Solent Quality Place awards, People’s Choice is:

  • Buckland Granaries, New Forest
  • Market Place, Romsey
  • The West Downs Centre, Winchester
  • North Stoneham Park, Eastleigh
  • The Centenary Building, Southampton
  • Maggie’s Centre, Southampton
  • God’s House Tower, Southampton

Voting will close on September 26 with residents able to cast their vote online at solentqualityplaceawards.org.uk/.

Cllr Sean Woodward, chairman of the partnership for South Hampshire, said: “Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and the Solent area are wonderful places to live, and this category of the Solent Quality Award is all about letting the people who live and work in these places and spaces choose the best design and place which most inspires them.”

The sixth edition of the Solent Quality Place Awards seeks to highlight placemaking excellence, recognising developments that contribute to improving the economic, social, cultural and environmental life of those who live, work, learn and relax within the Solent region.

Architects, local authorities and businesses have entered around 20 schemes into this year’s architecture and public space design awards run by Partnership for South Hampshire (PfSH). Since 2010, the partnership has been recognising beautiful and thoughtfully designed spaces across the Solent region.

During the last three months, judges from across the region have been busy visiting schemes and selecting locations worthy of a ‘Judges Quality Place Award’.