Editor,
Andrew Ruff’s suggestion of using the ground floor of Debenhams as an indoor market is an intriguing and innovative idea.
Read: Here are some simple ideas for Debenhams and Aspects Leisure Park
However, I suspect that no feasible shopping proposal for the old Beales’ and Debenhams’ buildings is going to substantially increase the number of shoppers in town.
I think it’s time to accept that our town can no longer support the size of shopping centre we had just a few years ago.
But within a few weeks, we will hopefully hear that the Universal Studios project will go ahead, creating hundreds of jobs, with a rail station connecting it to Bedford.
Within a few years, East-West rail will make us a commutable distance from Oxford and Cambridge, with thousands of academic and scientific staff looking for homes, and of course, London demands a continual home for commuters.
The Debenhams/Beales site would make an excellent place on which to commence building quality apartments, especially if we can provide an electric scooter/bike link to the station.
As East West Rail approaches completion, the area between the town centre and the station must also be extensively developed to attract affluent commuters. Attracting residents into the town centre will also bring in their wealth.
The future can be bright for Bedford, but only if we react to the opportunities ahead, rather than trying to retain what was good in the past.
Dave Neale
Castle Quay,
Bedford
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