Stevenage council last night granted planning permission for the £250m redevelopment of the town centre in Hertfordshire.
The plans, submitted for planning permission by Stevenage Regeneration, a partnership between developers ING and Stanhope, are a scaled-back version of the original £500m plans submitted in 2007. They now include shops, restaurants, a bus station, car parking and associated shopper facilities, and up to 120 homes.
The planning is subject to the completion of a legal agreement between the developers and the council.
Cllr Sharon Taylor, leader of Stevenage council, said: “Planning permission for the outline scheme establishes agreement in principle for the content and scale of the redevelopment, and in this challenging market goes a considerable way to reducing risk and making the investment more attractive to developers.”
“In the current economic climate, the timetable for delivery of the approved scheme is unclear. However, the council will continue to work with private sector development partners to overcome the remaining challenges and to bring forward the redevelopment of the town centre as soon as possible.”
annabel.dixon@estatesgazette.com
