ANOTHER public laneway in the central business district has been highlighted as being in need of a facelift.
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The laneway that runs between the ANZ bank and News on William has been called out for its lackluster appearance, followed by a suggestion for public art to liven the place up.
One side of the laneway is just a concrete wall, while the other is the brick facade of a neighbouring business.
There is also a hedge and minimal lighting through the corridor, but councillor Alex Christian and resident Jody Parker say its not enough.
The duo had set sights on another location in the CBD earlier this year, Macquarie Plaza, but said this new area needed much less work to make it shine.
An easy fix, they said, would be some murals painted on the walls to brighten up the area and make it more inviting.
"I was looking around one day and thought it looked pretty dreary in there," Ms Parker said.
"A lot of people use that passage, but it is dreary."
Another concern she had was that some people were turned away from the area because of its appearance, including her 13-year-old son.
Ms Parker said any artwork painted in the laneway should be created by local artists, who could then tell stories about Bathurst and its history.
"What I thought would be a nice idea too was getting some up and coming artists from local schools involved," she said, noting that it would help young people learn history as well.
Cr Christian agreed that murals should be created by local artists and celebrate local history, saying there was a lot of hype surrounding artwork on silos in nearby towns.
"If it is done properly it can be a real drawcard and I think that would benefit all businesses," he said.
He also thought the laneway could use some seating and additional lighting to make it more inviting.
However, Cr Christian said he didn't believe this laneway was the responsibility of Bathurst Regional Council to maintain, meaning that revitalising the area would have to fall onto someone else, likely surrounding property owners.
He issued the challenge to the Bathurst Business Chamber to lead the way.
"I would to see them hopefully take this on board. Council hasn't got money in the next budget for projects like this," he said. "Council can't do everything."
