Blueprint for Stafford town centre transformation to be unveiled

A food hall, retail outlets, and an expansion to the town’s college, are at the heart of a new blueprint for the centre of Stafford.

A report that will be discussed by senior councillors next month (April) will hear that the work to demolish and prepare the groundwork for development in the town centre had created ‘significant developer interest.’

The biggest transformation in the county town in a generation was kick-started when Stafford Borough Council used government money to buy the ailing Guildhall Shopping Centre and derelict former Co-op department store - which have both now been razed to the ground.

The iconic frontages of both the Guildhall and Co-op will be retained as part of the development and other historic landmarks are to be incorporated in the plans.

The report states that, with people’s shopping habits and leisure requirements changing, old-fashioned town centres across the country were no longer fit for purpose and needed to evolve.

Now the council has drawn up a framework of how Stafford will thrive with town centre living, improved public spaces, market hall - including food court, entertainment, competitive socialising, and artisan traders - and office space.

“Our ‘Development Framework’ is an important part of the next stage of work within the regeneration programme. It sets out the Council’s expectations and will shape future development proposals. It means a shift away from tired and vacant shopfronts in a high street that operates primarily in the daytime to a place that people are proud to live in and, equally importantly, want to spend their time in.”

— Aidan Godfrey, Council Leader

The town centre could see up to 200 new homes, over 3,000 square metres of commercial space including a new Market Hall, 6,000 square metres of education space to support the expansion of Stafford College, and just under 3,000 square metres of improved public spaces.

A planning application has recently been submitted to demolish the former Wilko site which also forms part of the regeneration plans.

The report due before the council’s cabinet next month (April) states that they were ‘now entering a critical and exciting phase in the delivery of the Stafford Town Centre Transformation process. It is intended that the Council moves forward at pace, to secure development partner(s) that share the Council’s vision and this will act as a catalyst for the wider regeneration of the town centre creating confidence in Stafford as the county town as a place to live, work, invest and visit.’

“This will be the biggest transformation of the town centre in a generation and it will be exciting to see this next phase taking shape. The fact that the Council took the lead in the acquisition, demolition and site clearance works has built confidence in the regeneration programme with investors and we must ensure that this momentum is not lost.”

— Councillor Rob Kenney, Deputy Leader with responsibility for town centres

As well as being used to purchase key buildings, money from the Future High Streets Fund has already paid for refurbishment of the Market Square and enhanced the approach and entrance to Stafford Railway Station.

There has also been major investment in the county town over recent years with the £22m Institute of Technology campus opening last year, the £9m Staffordshire History Centre, and preliminary work starting soon on the Stafford Station Gateway project - which is backed by £20m of government funds.

The Development Framework will be shared with potential investors at the UK Real Estate, Investment and Infrastructure Forum in May. The cabinet report and full framework document will be made publicly available soon.