Town centre threat to be met 'head-on'

Plans for major new retail developments at Stevenage, Hitchin and Luton will undoubtedly pose a threat to the world's first Garden City's town centre.

That was the stark message from Heritage Foundation Director General Stuart Kenny last week. He also stated that the Foundation is responding to the threat by seeking further major improvements in the town centre.

There will be long-term regeneration but also 'quick wins' in the search for new town centre retail, leisure, office and residential developments and a higher quality environment to counteract the outside threat and ensure that shoppers do not desert the heart of the town.

Mr Kenny made these challenging messages to the well-attended Annual Garden City Meeting, on Thursday 19 May, in the Spirella Building.

The Comet recently divulged Mr Kenny's intention to give a clear message at this meeting on the challenges for the Foundation's number one business priority. He did just that.

He spoke of the very successful first phase in LGC's Town Centre Regeneration which started in 1995 and included the arrival of Wm Morrisons, The Goldsmith Management Centre, CCTV, plus major innovative changes to Spirella, Broadway Cinema, The Arcade, The Colonnade and more recently the NHDC's Broadway Gardens, which was grant aided by the Foundation.

He warned of the danger to the town centre's retail offer by Internet shopping " which continues to increase its market share. £1 in every £7 spent last Christmas was over the internet."

Mr Kenny said the Foundation has put together a team of specialists in the key areas of highways and parking, retail agency, urban planning and environment, to work with the Foundation, the District Council and the Town Centre Partnership to deliver further improvements. He added that plans were very much in the early stages.

"Let me crystal clear," Mr Kenny retorted: "What we propose will not be easy to deliver. We will be tilting at some substantial windmills. However, meeting challenges is bread and butter to the Foundation and we will not shirk them."