As part of wider regeneration proposals for Stevenage Town Centre, the Danestrete Bus Station has relocated to a new facility. The vacant bus station space presents an exciting transformation opportunity in the heart of the town in advance of wider regeneration proposals happening.
The challenge
The site is located in the centre of the town, surrounded by retail and food and beverage units. Our challenge is to transform this into an active space for the community.
The bus station had been located at the site for many years, forming a key part of the fabric of the town centre. Stevenage has a range of listed structures, including the Clock Tower, and the site is fondly remembered by many residents. As such, community involvement has been critical in shaping designs. Creating a space which reflects the historical significance of the town centre is important.
Town centres have suffered as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. As is the case in many towns, our retail offerings are vulnerable and changes in footfall have led to the closure of shops, including national brands. There is a reliance on a changing sector that needs to be bolstered for our communities. Part of our challenge and responsibility is to introduce new uses quickly to encourage footfall.
Stevenage lacks an evening economy in the town centre, with most shops closing at 5pm. A change in behaviour is required to encourage people to either prolong the duration in the town centre or travel to the town centre after traditional retail hours. This current slower evening pace has resulted in a lack of cultural activity in the heart of the Town Square, without a space for this to thrive and grow. There is a wealth of community spirit within Stevenage and this needs to be brought into the ethos of the space.
There is a growing need to build sustainability and incorporate green elements into design. With existing infrastructure in situ for many years, and the development acting as meanwhile space, building sustainability and reusing materials is a challenge but a high priority.
The solution
Stevenage Borough Council is tackling head on prime space lying dormant by proactively making changes to encourage visits to the town. Encouraging footfall to the town centre supports our existing businesses as well as attract new occupiers. The introduction of new uses will also take away the threat of relying on a sole sector, with the activities the space brings, acting as a catalyst for further growth.
Introducing new audiences to the town centre will change the dynamic and ethos of the space. The vibrancy that the space will deliver has been influenced by the local community, who have shared feedback that has helped to shape the events programme. We have engaged with school children tasking them to name the space and design a logo to match, inspiring them to become involved with the regeneration programme.
We are challenging the dormant evening economy, reigniting it by offering evening activities to retain footfall in the town. Our events programme will encourage inter-generational participation with events at various times, a hive of activity that in turn increases natural surveillance and brings green space with areas for play into the centre of an urban environment. A varied events programme will appeal to all audiences and reactivate space to allow our active arts and culture scene to thrive.
Our scheme approaches the challenge of sustainability by limiting the number of new elements and working with as many existing elements as possible. This includes retaining and utilising the existing trees on site and working with internal teams on recycling elements in our proposed design. Building materials from other regeneration demolition projects in the town are being relocated to the site to be used in the build process. Post-project, we plan to relocate elements that can be reused elsewhere in the town in the future.
The impact
This project, due to complete in early Autumn 2022, is transforming the space into a dynamic community hub, improving linkages to the Town Square and providing public realm improvements to preserve and enhance the character and heritage significance of the area. These changes will drive an increase in footfall, supporting local businesses after a challenging period.
The motto for Stevenage is ‘The heart of a town lies in its people’. This is the crux of this project, presenting a real opportunity to provide an important contribution to our communities and local business. Providing a space for leisure and culture will stimulate the local economy and encourage local spend without a singular reliance on retail.
Our town has a strong community spirit incorporated within the ethos of the scheme. We are building upon a legacy of community to deliver a space that fosters collaboration, providing an engaging and activated location in the heart of the town. The council is delivering this early phase now, fast-tracking its activation.
The project promotes well-being, cohesiveness and positivity about the wider regeneration of the town centre. The space demonstrates the future, restoring vibrancy and utilising a space previously configured as a polluted and ill-positioned bus station for the modern age.
Delivering a significant area of green space within the town centre brings colour to an area of brutalist architecture. There has been a significant amount of investment into wider public realm and this project enhances this, with natural spaces for play and the creation of a pop-up park. A bespoke planting palette responds to the microclimate condition of the site, requirements for public use and provides a constant fusion of colour and shapes throughout the year. The pandemic highlighted the need for outdoor space, and this reflects that.
Community involvement has been key to this point, and this engagement will continue throughout the life cycle of the project. Social cohesion is now more important than ever, and there will be community event opportunities and local group involvement to celebrate the vibrant cultures and high-quality talent across our town, leaving a long-lasting positive impact for our leisure, arts and culture scene.
How is the new approach being sustained?
The development of a project such as this requires a one team approach, involving a range of teams and disciplines from across the council. The multi-team involvement includes representatives from Regeneration, Engineering, Culture, Leisure and Town Centre Management. Ongoing communications and the creation of a Working Group has allowed for a collaborative approach for the life cycle of the project.
The project is being financed through capital funding for the works and a revenue budget for events, with further funding being pursued through additional funding streams. There will be a wide range of events as part of the programme and to sustain the purpose of the space, these need to be budgeted for with spend mapped out in advance.
In line with this, there will be event sponsorship opportunities through our commercial team. Stevenage has some of the biggest business in the world, with companies such as Airbus and MDBA. We will be looking to work with these businesses, in addition to our regeneration partners, to help support the programme. Stevenage is also home to the largest cell and gene therapy cluster outside of the USA, and our ambition is to work with these companies to teach the younger generation about the opportunities available to them.
The space has the greatest chance of success if there is a clear communications programme that informs our local communities about the events taking place. Social media platforms, clean signage and regular updates will provide up to the minute information to continue to attract high levels of footfall. Feedback will be sought from the communities using the space to make sure that the events are consistent with the vision from residents and visitors, and to keep people coming back.
Lessons learned
The former bus station site is currently under construction and is not yet open to the public. However, the community ethos of the project runs parallel to the wider ambition for the town and this project continues to be a learning exercise as we communicate a highly visible programme of construction.
Despite still being in the construction phase of the project, we are keen to learn from the decisions made to ensure we strive and achieve high-quality builds elsewhere in the town. This project, which is a council-wide collaboration, continues to demonstrate the importance of partnership working.
Contact
Ishbel Brierley
Regeneration Officer
[email protected]