We have drawn upon a number of national studies, such as The Grimsey Review, to affirm our approach to the regeneration of the town centre. We are diversifying the uses of our town, introducing improved transport facilities, leisure, culture and retail spaces, alongside town centre living to encourage people to live, work and enjoy Stevenage. We need to find new ways to introduce sustained footfall within the town centre to encourage spend. We do have a significant number of retailers within our town centre, and well-known names such as Marks & Spencer are returning. However, there is a decline in ‘traditional’ retail, and we need to be doing everything we can to support our existing businesses, and to continue to attract new occupiers. By increasing the residential population of the town centre, we are encouraging spend – people will need places to shop and to eat and drink. In turn, this will support business and make Stevenage an attractive destination for potential occupiers. All of our work has been focused on this ethos.
Long-term regeneration can take years and even decades to deliver, but the council is committed to change now. We have delivered a series of interventions within the town centre to deliver for our residents and businesses. Already the Town Square - home of the iconic Clock Tower – has new paving, bespoke lighting and the restoration of heritage building frontages based upon original features.
Stevenage has some important architecture, and certain sections of our built environment are protected as conservation areas. As such, many of these buildings are repurposed as their uses change. One such example of this can be found in the heart of the town centre, in an area adjacent to the Town Square – one of our most important and well-known areas, with the additional challenges of being a Conservation Area. The development of a dilapidated retail area in the heart of the town square has provided new retail, commercial and flexible office space, including the introduction of Co-Space, a flexible working facility in the town that opened in August 2021. Formerly situated above a row of shops, the space has been transformed into an environment where people can work in the heart of the town, adapting to the changing requirements of town centres and the need to diversify.
Elsewhere, Market Place, a previously underutilized shopping street, has a new garden play trail to improve accessibility and boost footfall. And a £50m upgrade to Queensway North is complete, delivered by Reef Group, introducing commercial and residential use including a gym and restaurants.
We are aware of the need to develop sustainably. Our town centre needs to be fit for purpose, but it also needs to address the very real challenge of climate change. Working with our partners, we are ensuring responsible development, utilising sustainable initiatives such as reusing materials between projects to reduce wastage and recycling where possible. A part of this is offering our residents a range of ways in which to travel sustainably. We have been moving forward with the creation of our sustainable travel hub, which links all of our major transport facilities with at grade crossings to facilitate easy access for everyone. The new Stevenage Bus Interchange opened at the end of June, which overall provides greatly improved facilities for current and future bus users. And across Lytton Way, construction continues on our new multi-storey car park with 622 spaces, including charging spaces for electric vehicles and secure cycle storage, due to open in Spring 2023.
Stevenage is a hub for life sciences. Reef Group is delivering a £65m European headquarters for Autolus HQ, bringing office and lab space into the centre of the town. A further £900m of investment has been announced for the creation of world-leading life sciences campus in Stevenage, and we will be working hard to capture the jobs and skills opportunities for local people, as well as to help create a thriving local economy.