Patsy Dell, Assistant Director, Strategic Planning, Infrastructure and Economy, Hertfordshire County Council
We recognise that town centres have a key role in bringing people together, providing a focal point for all ages. And we’re determined they will be even more attractive for future generations – and that means moving with the times.
Town centres must be relevant to the needs of our residents. We must adapt and transform our town centres in order for them to survive – and thrive.
Our town centres must be inclusive to all, regardless of someone’s age and ability. Hertfordshire is adapting to a changing demographic, with a population which could rise by up to 175,000 by 2031 – they will expect, and we must deliver, a vibrant economy with a digital infrastructure capable of supporting people for future living and working.
The Hertfordshire Growth Board has a pivotal role to play in the ongoing re-emergence of the town centre as a new type of sustainable community space. Creating spaces for which social interactions, as opposed to financial transactions, are at the forefront of regeneration plans is vital.
Like many local authorities, we’re paying much more attention to the importance of the ‘civic realm’ – the creation of clean, tidy and attractive public spaces which are not constrained by traffic and inadequate parking provision.
We are excited about the reinvention and reinvigoration of our high streets and town centres – this is among our top priorities for growth in Hertfordshire. There is no denying many town centres across the UK have been suffering as people’s lifestyles, habits and expectations have changed beyond all recognition over the last few years.
Research shows that footfall on the UK’s high streets has dropped by 10 per cent in the last seven years. We will continue to respond to major changes in retail behaviour, after online shopping has become a powerful presence with its hugely detrimental affect on physical purchases in stores.
We want to start to reverse that footfall trend. Yet, we fully appreciate this can only become a reality if the offer to people from our town centres cannot be passed by.
The huge change in the way many of us now work presents the opportunity for public-sector hubs to play a significant part in ‘new-look’ town centres, giving people an added incentive to visit. The offer to people must include superb flexible working spaces and leisure facilities, as well as a fantastic place to shop.
Specialist retailers – which often don’t feature prominently online – are a vital part of this offer, with the traditional high street chains no longer a sufficient draw in their own right.
Food and health services – and cultural assets – can also all generate the footfall needed for a vibrant town centre. Hertfordshire County Council has launched a conservation and display programme to ensure treasures are preserved and easily accessible to the public, with 34 sculptures on show across the county.
We are committed to improved solutions for parking, such as utilising cutting-edge technology, while putting in place sustainable and vastly improved public-transport infrastructures.
The Sustainable Travel Town programme, which is part of the county council’s Local Transport Plan, shows our commitment to this. This initiative aims to reshape the local highway network and places as a whole, with towns that successfully bid to become Sustainable Travel Towns benefiting from a range of measures to make walking, cycling and bus travel a more attractive and practical option.
This could include new cycling routes and cycle parking, safe crossing points, wider pavements and bus priority measures.
Every town in Hertfordshire is distinctive from another, varying in its economic performance, so any strategy for town-centre planning should and will always be based on local characteristics, strengths, culture – including theatres, museums and libraries – and heritage.
A number of projects across the county to secure the future of our town centres have already begun, for example in Stevenage, Hemel Hempstead, Bishop’s Stortford and Waltham Cross. Most towns in Hertfordshire have some plans for regeneration or improvements.
The proposed regeneration of our town centres – making them innovative and dynamic places for people – is both compelling and inspiring. We’re determined to make town centres the places our residents and their communities deserve as, ultimately, community must be at the heart of plans for their future.
“We are excited about the reinvention and reinvigoration of our high streets and town centres – this is among our top priorities for growth in Hertfordshire.”
Patsy Dell, Assistant Director, Strategic Planning, Infrastructure and Economy, Hertfordshire County Council
Share article
LinkedIn Twitter Email