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Planning for Town Centres
North Hertfordshire contains four main towns: Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Royston and Baldock. The centres are generally performing well, and the Council wishes to maintain their vitality and viability.
In 2001, the Council adopted a Town Centre Template which set out the main issues to be included in town centre strategies. Strategies have now been produced for each of the four towns.
Hitchin
The first to be produced was the Hitchin Town Centre Strategy, adopted by Full Council on 18th November 2004 as the Council's Statement of Policy. The Strategy lays the foundations for future growth and development in Hitchin town centre. It has been prepared after extensive consultation, providing a comprehensive overview of the town centre while recognising its historic character, local distinctiveness and the needs of its local community.
| Hitchin Town Centre Strategy and 2 Plans |
 Hitchin Town Centre Strategy November 2004 (1.78MB)
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Map of Key Development Sites (314KB)
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Map of Enhancement Opportunities (363KB)
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One of the sites identified in the Strategy as appropriate for mixed use development is the Churchgate area . A revised Planning Brief was prepared for the Churchgate Development Area and adopted as the Council's Statement of Policy in November 2005.
Baldock
The second strategy to be prepared by the Council was the Baldock Town Centre Strategy. The building of the Baldock bypass provides opportunities for improving the town centre in the future. The Council, working together with local businesses, organisations and members of the community has prepared a Strategy and Action Plan for the town centre that will provide a context for promoting integrated development and enhancement of the town centre over the next 10 years. The Baldock Town Centre Strategy was adopted as the Council’s Statement of Policy on 19th January 2006.
Letchworth Garden City
On 18th January 2007 North Hertfordshire District Council (NHDC) formally adopted the Letchworth Garden City Town Centre Strategy Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). The strategy provides a framework to promote and guide development and enhancement of the town centre over the next 15 years.
Royston
The Council together with consultants Building Design Partnership (BDP) are in the process of preparing a Town Centre Strategy for Royston. The Council undertook a series of workshops earlier in the year to seek views from local businesses, organisations and residents. The intention is to prepare a draft Strategy for formal public consultation in January 2008. For more information on the preparation of the Strategy see the webpage for the Royston Town Centre Strategy.
Town Centre and Retail Study
The Council appointed consultants to carry out a Town Centre and Retail Study . This study was completed in June 2004 and will be used by the Council to inform policies in the emerging Local Development Framework, Town Centre Strategies and Development Briefs. In July 2006, the consultants produced and update to the 2004 study, based on the latest available information.
One piece of background work which fed into the Town Centre and Retail Study was a Town Centre Visitor Survey. This was a postal questionnaire sent to a random sample of people within the catchment area of each of the four main town centres. The survey had a 27% response rate and provided information on how and why people use the town centres, views on positive and negative aspects of the town centres, as well as where people come from and how they get to the town centres.
Town Centre and Retail Monitoring
The Council has recently produced its first Town Centre and Retail Monitoring Report, which looks at town centre uses as well as outstanding capacity and completions of Use Class A (retail), & Use Class D (assembly & leisure/non-residential institutions) floorspace during the monitoring year.