Preston's controversial shared space has won a national award
Lancashire County Council received a Reducing Sign Clutter award.
Lancashire Country Council has been awarded a Reducing Sign Clutter award for its work in the city centre.
The award which is sponsored jointly by the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation and the Department for Transport, recognises the 'best examples of schemes from around the country which have decluttered urban or rural areas through the removal of traffic signs'.
Over the past couple of years Preston's city centre has undergone a £3.4m transformation with the removal of roadsigns and traffic lights and the introduction of the 'shared space'.
The tweet below from Marketing Lancashire shows the dramatic transformation.
Despite the judging panel saying they were "very impressed" with the finalists, the shared space has come often under fire from visitors to the city centre, with both drivers and pedestrians have raised concerns about the new look city centre.
At busy times drivers have been caught in traffic jams that have lasted for hours and the stone 'bollard' at the Fishergate/Corporation Street junction has claimed many a victim with drivers not seeing it until it's too late. Last year to help with the Christmas rush the council also brought in wardens with 'Stop Go' boards to help with the traffic flow.
Photos showing the Fishergate transformation can be found on the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership website.