Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed that Willow BID has been successful in its application for Bids4BIDS funding. It was one of only two applications that received the full match funding sought. This will be in addition to the likely match funding offered by Merton Council.
The timing of this funding opportunity was fortuitous in that we had developed the Wayfinding project with Jonathan Docksey of Design JD and we were considering financial options to implement the project.
The funding will be used to install new, bespoke signage for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians including those that have travelled by car. In addition to this, the estate will be divided into five colour zones with each zone being depicted by coloured banners hanging from the lamp posts.
This will bring many benefits to businesses including their customers, suppliers and visitors being able to find their way quickly, thus reducing the frustration and friction that we currently experience caused by the logistical difficulties on the estate.
The traffic congestion will also be greatly reduced as those vehicle drivers unused to the estate will find their destination more quickly and overall the ‘maze’ effect will be greatly reduced.
This funding will prove critical as it will ensure that not only will there be a comprehensive implementation of the proposals, as opposed to a diluted version to satisfy budget requirements, but also the new signage and banners will be introduced over a relatively short period as opposed to a staggered, piecemeal approach.
We owe our gratitude to Tracy Francis (Charlie Apple, the marketing consultants) who was instrumental in advocating the merits of the Wayfinding project in our successful submission to TfL.
We all should be aware that we have to demonstrate the positive results to TfL and this will require your cooperation in providing feedback via Willow BID to TfL.