STEVENAGECENTRALWinter 2016

What’s

happening with

the town centre

regeneration?

STEVENAGE CENTRAL

2

What’s happening in Stevenage town centre and why?Shopping and the retail market have changed substantially since our revolutionary town centre opened in the 1950s. And they’re continuing to change. 21st century shops are very different to the old style large stores. Retailers now want smaller shop spaces and smaller store rooms set in pleasant surroundings. We don’t have this in Stevenage town centre at the moment but that’s what we’re aiming to provide with our central area and station projects.

Stevenage New Town was developed in the 1950s with a large central shopping and commercial area that reflected how the

world worked and planned to work over the next 30 years. Since then, the retail sector has changed significantly, firstly with the emergence of large superstores and corporate mergers in the 1970s and 1980s and more recently with the digital revolution of the 1990s and early 2000s. The internet has had a significant impact on high streets across the country with retail spending in stores falling.

Most of us now spend an increasing amount online, buying clothes, holidays, food and running our finances. Digital developments are making it easier and therefore more attractive every day. As we spend more online, we spend less in shops - and retailers are changing their focus in response.

The town centre is a hot topic in Stevenage, and lots of questions come up when we talk about it. We’ve answered

some of the most commonly-asked questions here.

Why is the town centre full of cheap shops? It isn’t! Even in a tough national retail environment, Stevenage has managed to provide a reasonable range of shops. There are some good, recognisable and popular brands here, like Next, H&M, River Island and Primark, and there are some discount retailers - such as Bargain Buys - which have come here because there’s a demand for their products from people who shop in Stevenage.

Why has Marks & Spencer moved out?Marks & Spencer leaving was a commercial decision made by the company as part of a national programme. They closed eight other stores across the country at the same time.

Q&ASTEVENAGE CENTRAL

Half a century on and we know that we need to make changes that breathe new life into the town centre and once again make Stevenage a desirable destination.

We have ambitious plans to grow the town over the next 15 years. We are working hard to deliver exciting plans for the town centre with our partners. Stevenage town centre is a priority

for the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), our community, and ourselves.

We are working closely with the private sector to deliver major new residential-led regeneration which, in turn, will stimulate investment in the town’s commercial, cultural and shopping facilities to meet everyone’s needs.

These are exciting times for Stevenage and changes are already happening. We’re planning for: • 3,500 new homes • New shops• New bars and restaurants • A new rail station • Brand new sports and leisure

facilities.

The future of Stevenage Town CentreWhen Stevenage town centre was first built back in the 1950s, people came to see, and be seen, in Stevenage.

Why are you allowing flats to be built in the town centre?Changing lifestyles and 21st century views of the world have created a demand for town centre living. Most towns have people living in central areas – Stevenage has always been unusual for not doing this. When there are people living in the town centre, there will be a need for more services and shops to match their needs. Locally we can see how the Old Town-High Street has changed and improved since it became more residential.

Stevenage, like all major towns, has a demand for more housing. This is a national issue. There is property and space in the town centre to develop into sites for housing.

More people in the town centre will lead to a wider range of retailers, restaurants and leisure facilities. The Town Centre will not close at 5.30pm and there will be vibrancy in the evenings.

Where will the parking be?Lots of the redevelopment opportunities highlighted in Stevenage Central will involve building on what are currently

ground-level car parks. We plan to replace these with new car parks around the station and an improved market car park. New housing developments will need to provide spaces within the respective schemes.

Equally cycling, buses and taxis remain important to our future. The new rail station will have an integrated bus interchange and modern taxi facilities, and the public areas around the station will include footpaths and cycleways, which will all integrate with the town centre.

When will we see something change?Regeneration takes time. And a lot of the work associated with it is going on in the background and isn’t immediately obvious. Next year (2017) we will be selecting key developers and investors. Planning applications will be approved in 2018 and building work will start in 2019/20. While this seems a long way off, we need the time to develop the detailed plans that we need for an investor to commit to spend significant funds, and we need to get the right contractors in place. We are not putting things off, it’s just that developments of this

scale take time. We will keep you informed and involved throughout the various stages of the process.

Some change is already happening:•We continue to work with the

owners of Westgate to promote new shopping opportunities.

•Stevenage Borough Council now owns several sites around the Town Square, which can enable regeneration to happen faster.

• The council is re-modelling the former QD building to provide smaller units, bringing new names to the hub of the town centre.

•We’re investing in the public areas of the town centre to demonstrate how important it is, which will bring additional confidence to the development market.

•We’ve done some work in 2015 and 2016 to improve the look of Queensway.

3

STEVENAGE CENTRAL

AndrewPercivalAndrew Percival, Chair of Stevenage First, the partnership behind the plans for Stevenage Central:

“Stevenage is a major opportunity for Hertfordshire and its regeneration is one of our key priorities. The Stevenage Central Framework is an ambitious and exciting vision for the transformation of central Stevenage.

At its heart is the redevelopment of the train station that would drive regeneration not just in that area but across the centre of Stevenage and beyond. We have already secured £15m Government funding via our Growth Deal and have carried out various studies that will provide confidence to enable development to go ahead.

As part of our Growth Deal 3 submission to the Government we are calling for over £54m in funding to replace the existing outdated and inadequate rail station. A new station will act as a catalyst to regenerate the town centre, stimulate housing growth, safeguard existing high value jobs, create new ones and encourage the growth of large and small businesses. It will also stimulate creation of a new theatre and leisure centre, multi-storey car parking and the construction of a new bus station.

At Stevenage First, our strength lies in our unity. Working together, we can achieve more and Stevenage will be better for it. Stevenage First is committed to maximising the potential of Stevenage and delivering for its current and future residents and businesses.

Over the coming pages you can read about our plans for the future of the town centre. Please feel free to share with us your thoughts on this and your own priorities for the town centre.”

SharonTaylorLeader of Stevenage Borough Council

“I’m delighted to be bringing you news of our town centre plans.

The revitalisation of our town centre is top of most Stevenage residents’ wish lists, as well as being one of the council’s biggest priorities. Over the next few pages, we will show you some of the work that is going into the town centre regeneration. We’ll explain why some things are happening and why others can’t, and we’ll introduce some of the organisations involved.

There are exciting things happening but they won’t happen overnight, or even over a few months. The town centre that we have now was developed and grew over several decades. It grew up with us and our new town will grow up with today’s young people. It’s important to remember that what we are doing here is investing in the future of our town, and in the future of our townspeople: we are not planning to revisit the 1970s or 1980s heyday of Stevenage town centre.

I very much look forward to seeing these plans come to life, and sharing the vision for our new town centre with you.”

Chronicle MagazineSTEVENAGE CENTRAL

4

Station gatewayLinked to the delivery of the new Station, plans are currently being prepared for the redevelopment of the surrounding area. Working with Hertfordshire County Council, we are looking at the potential to reconfigure Lytton Way to create new sites for development and to remove a key barrier to growth in our town centre. The scheme will include the following:

• Two new Plazas will be provided at either end of the Station providing a new entrance to Stevenage;

• The Leisure Centre and Gordon Craig theatre will be relocated to create opportunities for new retail, offices, cafés and bars; and

• A new relocated bus station will be provided linked to the Rail station.

Leisure parkThe Council are in ongoing discussions with the Landowner of the Leisure Park over new development proposals that will potentially include a hotel, offices, restaurant, cafés and other leisure uses as well as new homes for Stevenage town centre. By connecting the Leisure Park through the development of the station it will become part of Stevenage Centre – accessible and an essential part of the vision for the new Stevenage.

Matalan siteA major proposal has been submitted to the Council for the re-development of the Matalan site. The Planning Application proposes:

• 526 one- and two-bedroom homes; and • Significant new shopping and leisure facilities with

car parking. This is a development in a key location for our town centre that has the potential to generate significant private investment. The new buildings of between 6 and 13 storeys will provide a new landmark development for the town.

SG1 Development ZoneThe Council are about to go out to tender to secure a private development partner to deliver the first phase of new development for the town centre at the same time as the Rail Station. This area will include the redevelopment of :

• Swingate House; • Mecca Bingo; • Stevenage Borough Council Offices;• The Bus Station; • The Plaza; • Southgate Health Centre and Garages;

and • the Library.

The Council will be working in partnership with a developer to deliver up to 850 homes, new shops, leisure facilities and a public sector hub bringing Council, Health and Library services together in a new building.

SkylineFormerly HM Land Registry Offices, this landmark building has now been carefully redesigned and converted to provide 150 studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments. All of the apartments have now been sold and the first new residents are starting to move in.

Rail stationThrough Thameslink upcoming expansion plans, Stevenage will shortly be directly connected with quick links to Farringdon, Blackfriars and beyond. Plans have been developed for a radically improved new Stevenage Station including a 5th platform. The new station is currently going through further stages of design and the Council, working with partners, to enable its construction to begin in 2020-21. The redevelopment of Stevenage Rail Station is the top priority for the Council, the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Hertfordshire County Council. The Herts LEP have submitted a bid to Government for funding in the region of £54m to enable this development to come forward.

Town centre residential

conversions

Appointment of priivate development partner for 1st phase

New retail units for the town centre

Government growth deal 3 station funding

announcement

Construction begins for new town centre

residential developments

Commence on site for new Stevenage

Rail Station

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Stev

enag

e Ce

ntra

l

TIM

ELIN

EStevenage Central Regeneration: what’s planned?

Chronicle Magazine STEVENAGE CENTRAL

5

Six Hills HouseSix Hills House, a former IT company office block, was empty for three years before redevelopment work commenced late last year. When complete the redevelopment will provide 143 new affordable homes through housing association Metropolitan. The 128 one- and two-bedroom flats and 15 three-bedroom flats will provide people with the opportunity to gain a vital first step on the housing ladder. The development is expected to be fully completed in the autumn.

Vista TowerPreviously known as Southgate House, this former office building has been refurbished to provide 73 modern self-contained one- and two-bedroom apartments. Accommodating a comfortable and flexible lifestyle with open-plan living rooms, the development ensures that one of the town’s most prominent buildings is given new life.

SG1 Development ZoneThe Council are about to go out to tender to secure a private development partner to deliver the first phase of new development for the town centre at the same time as the Rail Station. This area will include the redevelopment of :

• Swingate House; • Mecca Bingo; • Stevenage Borough Council Offices;• The Bus Station; • The Plaza; • Southgate Health Centre and Garages;

and • the Library.

The Council will be working in partnership with a developer to deliver up to 850 homes, new shops, leisure facilities and a public sector hub bringing Council, Health and Library services together in a new building.

Brickdale HouseThe first of the new Town Centre office conversions. Brickdale House has been refurbished to provide for 51 new one- and two-bedroom flats in the heart of Stevenage town centre. The conversion has now been completed and residents have begun to move in.

Park Place / Town Centre Gardens This area includes part of Town Centre Gardens as well as Park Place and the frontages to St Georges Way. The Council are considering the redevelopment of this area to provide:

• new leisure facilities; • a new community / arts building; • significant new homes and car parking; and • improvements to existing retail and connections in this part of the town.

New Leisure Facility The Borough Council will be delivering a new multipurpose leisure facility within the town centre replacing both of the current aging facilities. Plans are underway for the new facility, due to be built and operational by 2021.

Park PlaceA proposal has been submitted to the council, to transform park place into a residential gateway between town centre gardens and the town centre. Comprising:

• ground floor retail units; • conversion (and extension) of the existing first and

second floors to residential; and • construction of a further 202 apartments over three

storeys of residential development above being one- and two-bedroom and studio units.

All apartments will benefit from open plan living spaces, generous glazing and private balconies or terraces looking over the gardens and the town centre.

New Rail Station opens

Completion of retail and leisure for

station gateway

New leisure and retail development

around station

Construction of new leisure facility

2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028

Stevenage Central Regeneration: what’s planned?

Chronicle MagazineSTEVENAGE CENTRAL

6

Fast forward to the present day and the 2008 global ‘credit crunch’ mixed with technological advances and the increasing popularity of smartphones and tablets is changing the face of town centres.

Shopping, banking and downloading music can now be done anywhere, on any day, at any time. A Saturday spent shopping can now be done on a Monday evening or a Wednesday lunchtime.

Big chains including Woolworths, and BHS, went into administration following the global recession and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned that as many as 900,000 jobs could be lost within the UK retail sector over the next nine years*1. Britain’s shop vacancy rate currently stands at around 12.4 percent, according to the Local Data Company with more than 47,000 empty units across the country – the equivalent to 47 city centres*2.

Where retailers once stood, increasingly places to live, shop and socialise populate high streets, while town centres are no longer confined to office hours. A Policy Exchange report says people ‘still want to go shopping to attractive and social retail destinations.’*3 But, as the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) put it, town centres need to develop into ‘lifetime neighbourhoods’.

Stevenage is no different. In 1946, Lewis

Silkin, the then prime minister Clement Attlee’s planning chief, designated Stevenage as the country’s first New Town. Its town centre was pioneering, boasting the country’s first traffic-free shopping centre, which was opened by the Queen in 1959.

Seventy years on and town centres all over the country – including Stevenage – are once again building for a new way of life as they adapt to people’s changing shopping patterns.

These town centres are built on the foundations of the world we live in today but also take into consideration the changing wants and demands of generations to come in the future.

A whopping 89 percent of households in Britain have internet access, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), with 77 percent of adults shopping online, up from 53 percent when the recession hit in 2008*4. It should come as no surprise that figures from the BRC show that high street footfall fell by 0.5 percent in September – the fifth month it has fallen this year. High streets aren’t the only ones suffering – shopping centre footfall fell by 2.5 percent in September as people continue to make the switch online*5.

But it’s not just where people are spending their money - it’s what they’re

spending it on as well. The most recent ONS figures shows that the average household spends nearly £70 a week on recreation and culture*6. People now spend more on food, restaurants and hotels than on clothing and footwear – traditionally items you’d expect to find on the high street.

Growing up in the ‘click and collect’ and contactless payment generation, today’s young people are also playing their part in the cultural shift. ONS figures show 70 percent of adults accessed the internet ‘on the go’ using a mobile phone or smartphone*7, with 89 percent of 16 to 24 year-olds and 93 percent of 25 to 34 year-olds shopping online*8.

Young people want things now – they don’t want to spend their free time traipsing round the shops going from one queue to another. Why should they when the world we live in means they can meet up with friends in town for a coffee and collect their online purchase while they’re at it?

Stevenage has just begun its transition to this modern town centre age with hundreds of people moving into new central apartments. New shops, restaurants and leisure facilities will follow, to create a multi-purpose town centre that is in keeping with its original new town spirit while meeting the aspirations of Stevenage people in the 21st Century.

Changing face of SHOPPING

Take a trip to the high street on a Saturday 10 years ago and chances are it would be packed with people doing a spot of clothes shopping, paying in a cheque at the bank, and buying the latest chart CD – remember those?

References: *1 BRC Retail 2020 Report: Fewer but better retail jobs in the future. *2 Local Data Company (LDC) Infographic - In the balance: H1 2016 Retail and Leisure. *3 Policy Exchange (2013) - 21st Century Retail Policy: Quality, choice, experience and convenience. *4 Internet access – households and individuals: 2016 Office for National Statistics. *5Footfall declines but shoppers still spending. *6 Households spend the most on transport. *7 Internet access – households and individuals: 2016 Office for National Statistics. *8Internet access – households and individuals: 2016 Office for National Statistics.

Chronicle Magazine STEVENAGE CENTRAL

7

Case study 2:

Living in a new town centre apartmentStevenage has always been unusual in having its housing areas totally separate from its shopping. These days most town centres are places where people can live, shop, eat, drink and play without having to travel too far.

Part of the changing face of our town centre is the conversion of empty office buildings into smart, aspirational apartments. And they’re selling out fast.

Emma White* moved into her brand new flat at Skyline House – which was formerly the Land Registry office – in May this year. Born in Stevenage, the 26-year-old trainee accountant has lived here all her life and, when the time came to flee the nest, was keen to stay close to her family while retaining some independence.

“My parents live in Chells,” Emma says. “There’s a great community spirit there but it’s a car or bus ride from where I work in the town centre, and I’d always have to get a taxi home after a night out.

“Most people my age are looking to buy their own homes now, but I think we want different things to what our parents and grandparents wanted. When my mum was my age she had two children and we needed a family home, close to other family and friends in the same situation. Things are very different for me. I’m just at the start of my career. I’m enjoying having money to spend and having an active social life. I work hard – in my job and studying – and so I want an easy life when I’m not at work. Living here means I can literally fall out of my front door and into Tescos when I’m out of milk or need a chocolate fix. I’ve got rid of my car because I can walk to work, and I can also walk to the gym and to the station when I go out in London.”

The plans for the regeneration are exciting for Emma. She says, “In a few years the town centre will be more of a social hub, so like a new neighbourhood centre but more central. I’m looking forward to having bars and restaurants and a shopping centre right on my door step. It feels similar to living in London, not on the same scale or at the same price but with a similar atmosphere.”

Case study 1:

The British High Street todayStevenage’s characterful Old Town High Street was last month crowned one of the best in the country, being named as one of the top five local centres in the Great British High Street Awards.

The competition celebrates the great work that is being done to revive, adapt and diversify the nation’s high streets and town centres, and the accolade for our High Street acknowledges the positive changes that local businesses and residents have made there over the past few years.

Faye Cowen is part of the success story. She opened her interiors shop Seasons in the High Street in June 2015, and is now looking forward to her second Christmas season. Having grown up in the Old Town and worked in family businesses for several years, Faye was well-placed to notice what was happening there and believes the area was ripe with opportunity.

“A few years ago you could start to see the High Street pick up,” she says. “The effects of the recession were fading, people were spending money, and new homes were being built.”

Those new homes need furnishing and decorating and Faye’s shop – one of a number of new independent businesses opened in the High Street in the past few years – aims to meet that need.

“Most of our customers are local people,” she says. “They live in the Old Town or close by, or they come to get their hair done and then realise how good the High Street is. Everything’s on your doorstep here – there are different restaurants and bars, hair and beauty salons, there’s a children’s shop, a record shop, a hardware shop, lots and lots. I’d be surprised if you couldn’t get everything you need on the High Street.”

Like many Stevenage people, Faye is conscious of new life being breathed into the town: “We’re seeing the repurposing of lots of old buildings – new flats in unused office buildings, new bars and restaurants in old shops. It’s nice to see that there are those potential new markets, and it’s what customers want.”

You can visit Seasons at 57 High Street, Stevenage or visit the website at www.seasons-interiors.co.uk

*name has been changed.

The magazine for Stevenage peopleSTEVENAGE CENTRAL

8

Next stepsHertfordshire LEP has bid to the Government for more than £50million of funding from the Growth Deal for a brand new railway station for Stevenage. We expect to hear whether this bid has been successful around the time of the Autumn Statement, in late November. Following this decision, the council will make final preparations to sign up a developer for the first phase of redevelopment.

Keeping in touchWe would love to hear your comments on Stevenage Central.

Send us a virtual postcard via stevenage.gov.uk/regenerationYou can view the Stevenage Central Framework at: stevenage.gov.uk/regeneration

Email your questions and comments to regeneration@stevenage.gov.uk

The team working to deliver regenerationStevenage First is a partnership of Stevenage Borough Council, Hertfordshire County Council, Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce. While Stevenage Borough Council is leading in driving the redevelopment of the town centre forward, the support of our partners in Stevenage First is vital to delivering key projects and co-ordinating the wider vision. By working together, we are better equipped to unlock the full potential of Stevenage, and create a vibrant town centre where people want to live, work and play.

Stevenage First partners have already been influential in securing significant funding through Hertfordshire LEP, commissioning enabling studies to lay the foundations for regeneration and addressing key infrastructure requirements to make the development work on the ground.

If you would like us to come to you, email regeneration@stevenage.gov.uk

We’re taking our pop-up regeneration show out and about.