Planning permission has been approved for the regeneration of Stevenage Town Centre.

Mace will work in partnership with Stevenage Borough Council, and will create a new heart for Stevenage, transforming opportunities for the local residents with sustainable housing, community facilities and great new public spaces.

SG1 will offer 1,864 new homes across 14.5 acres of public land, improving connectivity and links to central London, and creating new spaces for local businesses to grow.

The landmark regeneration will play a key role in the economic recovery of Stevenage post-COVID-19. It will deliver an integrated public services hub comprising new state-of-the-art health facilities, library, retail and workspaces, offering people and businesses new opportunities to thrive.

Sustainability is at the heart of the design - new green spaces and tree planting are a central theme for the masterplan proposals. Mace will increase biodiversity and new planting in an attractive new Garden Square adjacent to the hub and the historic Town Square.

With a focus on inclusivity and wellbeing, SG1 will also create attractive new streets, squares and public realm, improving pedestrian and cycle connections across the town.

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Subject to the outcome of a review by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, construction on SG1 will now be scheduled to begin in the coming months. Work is already underway in the town, where Mace is managing the improvements to the historic Town Square, bringing new places to eat and drink, flexible workspaces and conference facilities.

Mark Reynolds, Group Chief Executive at Mace, said: "The approval marks the next stage in our plans to transform Stevenage with spaces that work for the entire local community, from families to businesses for decades to come. We are delighted to continue to work closely with Stevenage Borough Council in bringing the plans to reality. We look forward to beginning work on this landmark scheme that will create an inspiring new town centre for Stevenage, creating thousands of jobs and enabling economic growth.

"The planning permission approval for SG1 is an important step in building a better town centre in Stevenage. We are confident that a review at national level will conclude that our ambitious regeneration plans for the town can act as a blueprint of economic growth and future opportunity for many towns across the UK. As we look towards the UK’s critical economic recovery from the impact of COVID-19 on people’s livelihoods and opportunities, regeneration proposals like this will be vital to our success."

Cllr Sharon Taylor OBE, Leader of Stevenage Borough Council, said: "This is a really fantastic moment for Stevenage and we’re delighted that such a major scheme has been approved. When we started this journey we aimed as high as possible and working with world-class firms like Mace will help us to achieve our goals and make the town an even better place for people to live, work, play and relax. Mace's proposals are truly transformational and we can’t wait for work to begin. 2020 has been challenging for everyone, but hopefully this announcement, combined with the progress being made on our other ongoing developments, will give everyone cause for optimism."