Four new town centre regeneration projects will take place this year after central government funding was approved for business cases put forward by Bedford Town Deal Board.
£11.3m of funding has been unlocked including the regeneration and restoration of St Paul’s Square, improvements to the Greyfriars junction and enhancements to Midland Road.
Midland Road
This vital gateway into the town centre will receive enhancements to shopfronts and buildings in the area to help regenerate the street and make it a more inviting route between the rail station and centre of Bedford.
Public realm improvements will include a reduction in the carriageway width to improve walking routes and the installation of new street furniture.
St Paul’s Square
Proposals put forward for the regeneration of St Paul’s Square include a comprehensive redevelopment of the square, as well as further work in Harpur Square.
The work will support a variety of outdoor events, activities and performances. “The objective of this project is to improve visitor experience, increase vibrancy and footfall and diversify the town centre’s offer to promote Bedford as a visitor destination,” said a council statement.
Greyfriars
In conjunction with Bedfordshire Police, improvements will be made to the Greyfriars road network to make it easier to walk and cycle to and from the town centre.
It will also open up space for further development and regeneration of the former Police Station site (owned by Bedfordshire Police) and help alleviate the rising demand for housing and introduce more opportunities for town-centre living.
The building was put on the market in 2017 by the former Police and Crime Commissioner, Kathryn Holloway who declared it was “no longer fit for purpose”.
The Greyfriars project is being joint-funded by the Bedford Town Deal, which will contribute £2.13m, and Bedfordshire Police, who are contributing £250,000.
Samantha Laycock, Chair of the Bedford Town Deal Board, said: “So much hard work as gone into each business case, it is great to see they have all been formally approved on their first submission.
“Revitalising these key town centre gateways will enhance our shared vision for people to visit, live, do business from and help visitors to stay for longer in a higher quality environment/place making.”
Councillor Henry Vann, portfolio holder for town centre and planning at Bedford Borough Council, said he was delighted that the business cases had been approved, “marking another step in the right direction towards bringing the benefits of our Town Investment Plan to residents, businesses and visitors.”
“We look forward to working closely with all our partners to deliver these exciting projects and seeing the positive impact they will have on our community,” said Cllr Vann.
The timeline for the commencement of the projects will be announced shortly.
