Ref. 23472-15PLANS are in hand to transform a drab 1960s square using the artistic talents of local residents.

Sculptures, mosaics and a bright new colour scheme have all been put forward as possibilities for the project to make Sussex Square in Walcot a more pleasant place.

Project manager Paula Harrison said Lottery Transform Your Space funding of £8,000 has already been secured, along with another £2,500 from the Parks and East Walcot Neighbourhood Renewal Company.

She said: "The artists will be consulting local people for the next three months. Then they will come up with design proposals.

"Depending on the outcome of that we could start to see things appearing in September and October."

It is one of several similar improvement projects under way in the town.

The facelift is being run in conjunction with Artsite, which is working on similar projects in Penhill.

Most of the money will be concentrated on Sussex Square, which was the first shopping area to be built in Parks and Walcot.

But it is hoped that some artwork will be created in nearby Cavendish Square, which is due to undergo a major revamp.

Bill Cox from Artsite said they would be approaching different groups in the area, including youth groups and the elderly, to see what long-lasting ideas they could come up with.

"Even just painting the place a coherent colour scheme will help," he said.

Ideas from a public meeting in Walcot Dome included a tile wall mosaic next to the Forbouys shop, graffiti murals and a sculpture to replace a bench removed after being damaged by skateboarders.

Mr Cox said a simple thing like decorating the galvanised steel street lamps at the square could be considered.

"Some of these things would not be out of place on the perimeter of a prison. But we can improve that. There is a lot we can do."

Ruth Hursey, minister at St Andrews and chairman of the neighbourhood renewal board, said care would have to be taken to ensure the art was not just aimed at the younger residents. "We have to find something that nearly everybody is comfortable with."

She added that whatever was installed could be attacked by vandals.

"If someone really wants to have a go then they are going to," said Mr Cox. "But it shouldn't stop us from doing something like this."

Tina Clarke