Town Centre plans take centre stage

Garden City Meeting 2006

Plans to regenerate the heart of the world's first Garden City, by Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation, held centre stage at the Annual Garden City Meeting, in the Spirella Ballroom, on Thursday 18 May 2006.

There were a number of questions put to the panel, Stuart Kenny, the Foundation's Director General and its Chairman Alan Scouller, during the ‘Question Time' style forum. Mr Kenny highlighted many of the points raised from the recent Public Consultation during the course of his presentation.

The Foundation key targets for its estimated £60m regeneration of The Arena site and The Wynd – funded by the Foundation and at no cost to the town's taxpayers and businesses - are to provide;

  • Bigger and better retail units to attract more quality national multiples
  • New smaller retail units to support existing ones and attract new independent retailers
  • More and better quality parking with easy access
  • An improved environment generally for the shopper
  • A ‘family friendly' town centre, both in terms of ‘offer' and environment.

The Heritage Foundation strongly believes that the town centre is in danger of going into freefall unless major investment is made in the near future and the published plans of nearby towns to invest heavily in their town centres, will only exacerbate the problem.

The Foundation is now ‘working up' its proposals is some detail and, in parallel, talking face-to-face, with the businesses potentially affected.

It is also is dialogue with North Hertfordshire District Council, whose support, in both Planning and Compulsory Purchase terms, is crucial for the Foundation's proposals being translated into reality.

Around 300 people heard keynote speeches from Mr Kenny and Mr Scouller, who both gave a comprehensive resume over the last 12 months of the busy life in the world's first Garden City and of the challenges that need to be addressed in the future.

Other topics which came up during the one hour plus questions and answers session from the floor, (questions unbeknown to the panellists beforehand), plus pre-received written questions, included town pubs, traffic flows and Landlords Consent matters.

Questions raised concerning the Town Centre regeneration plans and the widespread Public Consultation were as follows including responses from Mr. Kenny.

  • What will happen to the existing retailers, especially the small independents? In practical terms will we be able to relocate them, temporarily or otherwise?
Bi lateral discussions are taking place with each of the retailers in order that we have the fullest of information on their requirements/ambitions so that we can look to meet them.
  • How will we keep Letchworth GC Town centre alive during the lengthy construction phases?
A difficult issue that must be handled sensitively, but phasing and preliminary improvements top parking and the street scene will help.
  • The height of the proposed Arena/Broadway/Eastcheap development, in particular how it still ‘dominates' the Town Hall
We are currently reviewing undercroft parking, with the hope of moving to full basement parking which should drop the overall height, allowing pitched roofs. Flats built into the roof spaces could also help.
  • The lack of pitched roofs on that development
As above
  • The need for high quality architecture on the new developments, appropriate to the Garden City
This is well understood; good townscape design will be important and we must look towards achieving a real Garden City feel.
  • The need for sufficient car-parking, especially given the number of flats proposed and the effect that could have on the take-up of proposed car parking.
Parking would be increased by changing to full basement parking; the requirement for apartment garaging might be less in the light of recent guidance from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
  • The quality of the new multi-storey and undercroft car parking. Will people actually use it?
The intention is to make it secure, bright and well lit.
  • The need to make our own town centre ‘offer' different from the opposition by adding something ‘special', i.e. beyond our Unique Selling Point of ‘family friendly' ( e.g. the Playbarn and wider than normal car parking spaces.
We are exploring the potential to improve the area between Leys Square and the Hogshead by taking out some on-street parking, creating water features and greenery (proposed 40 degree parking elsewhere to be retained.)
  • The perceived higher impact of undertaking the Arena redevelopment ahead of The Wynd scheme, rather than vice-versa.
Developing the Arena site first may not be practicable because of the impact on re-locations, but the final decision on programme, phasing and timing of the Arena and Wynd redevelopments flow from the detailed work still to be done. There were 438 responses to the Public Consultation. Every person who responded received a letter or email of thanks from Stuart Kenny and around 130 people also received personal replies from Mr Kenny in answer to their specific questions. And as part of the consultations, Mr Kenny conducted a ‘one-man' road show and gave 23 personal presentations on the new proposals to Letchworth Garden City organisations and societies.

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