Churchgate Development Project
Project Status update - May 2011
Since the public exhibition of its initial vision for the Churchgate area in May 2010, Simons, the Council’s development partner, has been considering feedback from the exhibition and from subsequent meetings of the Churchgate Liaison Forum and meetings with various stakeholders.
The project is currently in a quiet reporting period, however there is lots of work going on behind the scenes, as Simons work on revising the initial scheme to take on board feedback from the public. The scheme is complex, and the revision process takes time, however Simons are working towards producing new proposals that they will present to the public for further consultation in advance of any planning application. Charles Vyvyan recently stated on behalf of Simons that “the scheme exhibited in May 2010 will change and that any scheme put forward for planning in due course will be different”.
Take a look at our frequently asked questions which has been updated recently in light of recent media articles regarding the project.
The Council and Simons have also released a joint media statement to give an update on the project on 9 May 2011 which you can view here.
Overview
On Thursday 25 February 2010 Full Council voted, with a clear majority and cross party support of 31 for, 2 against and 1 abstention, to award the contract for the redevelopment of the Churchgate Shopping Centre and surrounding area in Hitchin to Simons Developments Limited.
The appointment of a development partner is the next step towards achieving the Council’s long standing aim of redeveloping this part of central Hitchin which does not do justice to the rest of the historic town. The redevelopment also promotes the Council's three key priorities of town centres, green issues and sustainability and the Council's vision of making the District a vibrant place to live, work and prosper.
The Council chose Simons to lead on this work after a rigorous tendering process. Simons is a well-known, respected national company that has carried out work in a number of historic towns such as Witney, Newark, Ely, Lincoln, Durham and Carmarthen.
Their brief requires them to make significant investment in this important area of Hitchin, to ensure that there are opportunities to attract the right mix and types of shops to the town, and that it becomes more attractive whilst at the same time its historic character is retained. They will be looking to achieve this by creating a high quality retail-led, mixed-use scheme that will significantly enchance the town.
Answers to questions raised as part of the initial exhibition feedback on Simons' vision for the area.
Project Timeline and Next Steps
A summary of key milestones in the project so far, and next steps
Churchgate Exhibition Feedback
A summary of the feedback received so far on Simons' initial vision for the Churchgate area.
There are several ways in which residents, visitors and businesses can help shape the detail of Simons proposals. Find Out how to get involved.
Details of the Forum created in order to allow the developer to test ideas, helping to shape the project, and most importantly ensure effective communication with the town.
This section provides an overview of the planning policy work carried out which has shaped the Churchgate proposals.
This summarises the Competitive Dialogue process which the Council commenced in May 2008 and led to the appointment of Simons Developments Limited. This also includes redacted versions of Simons' Tender submission and the Development Agreement between the North Hertfordshire District Council and Simons' Developments Limited.
In the interest of transparency, NHDC is releasing key information and documents regarding the Churchgate project here.
Access to previous information.
