Stevenage is a town with ambition, determination, and drive. From its inception as the first post-war ‘new town’ in 1946 to celebrating its 75th year in 2021, the town is recognised for the progressive and bold aspirations of its community.

As a Council we care deeply about what residents think, and this is why the priorities set out in this document have been shaped around what you have told us matters to you. Whether that be tackling climate change or working with partners to address anti-social behaviour, these are local issues that are important to you, and so this means that they are important to us.

The Making Stevenage Even Better Corporate Plan builds upon the foundation laid out in our previous Corporate Plan ‘Future Town Future Council’ and sets out a roadmap for the next three years. We want to build on our previous successes and provide every opportunity to residents to directly benefit from local investment, now and in the future.

As a Council we have continued to build upon the original town planners’ optimism and in 2015, through collaboration with partners, invested £1 billion in are generation programme to reinvigorate the town centre and surrounding areas.

• The Project - This 20-year project to deliver multiple residential, commercial and retail schemes and improve our leisure and cultural offer is progressing at pace, and we want our residents to benefit from this, not only in terms of access to improved amenities and green spaces, but access to jobs in response to the industrial and economic growth this investment will deliver.
• Regeneration - Our regeneration plans also aim to promote the town as a place where music and arts can flourish. We have a real opportunity to bring together our unique architecture and heritage to create a vibrant and iconic environment. Our Towns Fund plans will deliver significant benefits through the development of a state-of-the-art Sports & Leisure Centre which will become a hub for healthy living and wellbeing, and improve links between key spaces and assets within the town.
• Increase Housing - Alongside the revitalisation of the town, we will continue to deliver on our ambitious house building targets. We have already provided over 495 council and private homes since 2014, and in the next 30 years a total of 2,253 good quality, sustainable homes will be built. Residents have told us that they need more council homes, and this is what we are going to deliver.
• More Benefits - In addition to increased housing, we also want better employment opportunities for our residents, particularly our children. To deliver on this ambition, we have sought to capitalise on the town’s strong history in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM),from the early days of the British Aircraft Corporation in the 1950s, to the town now hosting the third largest cell and gene therapy cluster outside of the United States. The growing space, communication and defence industry will also provide fantastic opportunities and we will work with partners to provide access to education and training initiatives, so that residents can benefit directly from the journey we are on. As a former Lecturer at North Herts College, I am passionate about our commitment to young people and supporting new generations to realise the potential they have and raise their aspirations.

The next three years won’t be without its challenges. We have seen the financial impact of severe cuts in government funding, changes in welfare and social rent policy, rising inflation, and the significant social and financial impact of the cost of the living crisis and pandemic. We know that there will be difficult financial decisions ahead in order to balance the budget, but we also know we are committed to finding innovative solutions that ensure that we can keep delivering the services you have told us you need.

Our ambition is to Make Stevenage Even Better and I believe the outcomes and actions set out in this document will provide the roadmap to get there.