Plans to transform the north of Stafford town centre have been unveiled, setting out proposals for around 200 new homes, a market hall, expanded college facilities and new public spaces.
The Stafford Town Centre Development Framework outlines a long-term vision for the regeneration of 2.4 hectares of land including the former Guildhall Shopping Centre and market, the former Co-op department store and the former Wilko site.
Businesses are invited to find out more about the proposals at a drop-in session at St Mary’s Church on Wednesday, 22 July, between 5.30pm and 7pm, where council officers and cabinet members will be available to discuss the plans.
The framework, prepared for Stafford Borough Council by Leeds-based ArkleBoyce Architects, is intended to guide future investment and redevelopment in the area.
It says: “The vision for the regeneration area is to build on the town’s significant successes to deliver further transformational change to the north of the town centre, creating a vibrant, inclusive and future-ready destination at the heart of Staffordshire.”
The report proposes a new market hall with retail, food and drink outlets, residential developments providing approximately 200 homes, commercial and business space, an education site to support the expansion of Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group, and improvements to public spaces and pedestrian links.
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 document identifies changing shopping habits and vacant retail units as key challenges facing the town centre.
It states: “As with many town centres, Stafford has experienced challenging conditions over recent years which has culminated in a decrease in footfall and an associated reduction in retail offer. A number of retail units within the northern town centre have been vacated with little chance of those units being re-occupied.”
The report says the proposed homes would ‘re-energise the area, diversify its offer, and support long-term resilience’.
Council leader, Aidan Godfrey, said: “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.”
