Outcome met:
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The town centre is vibrant
Graham Fisher, Chief Executive
Town centres and high streets face unprecedented change as online shopping takes customers away from the traditional retail offer. To respond to these fundamental changes, town centres are diversifying with a greater focus on leisure, experiences, and local services as well as increasing residential opportunities to attract visitors alongside the shopping offer.
In 2019, the Letchworth Town Centre Strategy Group was set up to lead and help facilitate such change locally. Along with North Herts District Council, the local Business Improvement District, the Local Enterprise Partnership and Garden Square Shopping Centre, we are working together to identify opportunities to support and develop the town centre. This has included discussions about the potential development of a new integrated health hub as well as supporting the existing programme of town centre events and improving town centre management.
Building on Letchworth’s vibrant arts and culture scene, we also began to assess the viability of a Centre for Creative Industries in the town centre. Early indications show that there is much more work to do as we need to find a model that works in the long term for Letchworth, one that will allow such a centre to be financially sustainable.
