The re-development of the Peace Gardens is the first stage of the £120 million project to be completed.  Opened in December 1998 it is a mix of water features, seating areas, lawns and planting all centred around the relocated Goodwin fountain.  It is one of the few ‘green’ spaces within the City centre and has proved very popular with the residents of the City. 

Three artists have been involved closely with project from the start, each making a significant contribution to the final design. Brian Asquith, Tracey Heyes and Richard Perry have produced designs that combine the natural and the man-made reflecting both the traditions of a great industrial City and the landscape around it.