A new masterplan has been announced for Stafford which will deliver new homes, businesses, hotel, and leisure facilities in the town.
The Stafford Station Gateway masterplan will focus on revitalising underutilised brownfield land around the railway station, which is on the proposed HS2 route.
The new framework is being delivered through a partnership between Stafford Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council and LCR, the government’s placemaking and regeneration expert.
Nick Smithson, senior development manager at LCR, said: “The masterplan for the Station Gateway represents another positive evolution as the town cements its place as a key hub in the Midlands.
“Delivering high-quality housing and the amenities to match is one of the core mandates of levelling-up, and the masterplan highlights the untapped opportunity that exists on land around our railway stations, which is typically unloved, under-developed and perceived as too difficult to transform.
“The crucial next step will be ensuring that the masterplan is ultimately adopted and owned by the community.”
Consultation with the community began on Thursday 18th August and lasts for six weeks.
Funding has been secured by the Borough Council for the £21m Future High Street Fund transformation of the town centre and includes work to improve the landscape outside the front of Stafford Railway Station. The County Council have also secured £7.1m for the Staffordshire History Centre, off Eastgate Street.
Cllr Frances Beatty, cabinet member for economic development and planning, said: “The financial backing we have received is testament to the confidence that government has in us to deliver major developments such as the Stafford Station Gateway project.
“This underutilised area will see the birth of a new community, with quality homes where people will want to live, alongside a business-friendly environment and leisure facilities, sitting on the doorstep of our station which will be an enormous attraction to potential investors. The ‘Station Gateway’ scheme is yet another piece in the jigsaw of transforming the heart of Stafford.”
Once the community feedback has been factored into the plans, the masterplan will be submitted to the council for final approval.
