Views are being sought on development proposals for the area surrounding Stevenage Railway Station, including pedestrianising Lytton Way or reducing it to a single carriageway.
Stevenage Borough Council has drawn up new proposals for the Station Gateway Area Action Plan (AAP), following public consultation in 2021.
The area includes that around the train station, bounded by the railway tracks and Lytton Way.
The plan outlines four options for the central area of Lytton Way, between Swingate and Danesgate - do nothing, reduce to a single carriageway for all traffic, reduce to a single carriageway for buses and taxis only, or create a pedestrianised plaza and have no through route.
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The council says reducing Lytton Way to a single carriageway for buses and taxis only was the preferred option from the public consultation, while creating a pedestrianised plaza "was also very popular".
Both of these options could lead to a "potentially significant change to traffic flows around Stevenage town centre", the council recognised.
The responses to the public consultation "demonstrated a clear overall desire for some form of positive change involving Lytton Way", the council said, adding that the options for Lytton Way form just a part of the overall aims and objectives of the Station Gateway area.
"At the heart of the issues affecting Stevenage’s station area is the design and function of Lytton Way," the preferred options report says.
"It severs the station from the town centre, provides a barrier and unpleasant environment for active travel modes and the public realm, uses land inefficiently so as to create unusable development parcels between it and the railway line, and undermines Stevenage Borough Council's and Hertfordshire County Council’s commitment to sustainable transportation.
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"To unlock the potential of the AAP area, it is essential first to determine the preferred option for a redesign of Lytton Way.
"All potential changes to this area and scenarios proposed will promote movement and improve access to and from the railway station to the town centre and enhance the sense of arrival to Stevenage, providing the gateway to improved opportunities for the area."
The plans also include creating a cycle hub that contains secure cycle parking, hire schemes and maintenance facilities, with "development opportunities" above the ground floor hub.
The report also refers to "development plots made available by the consolidation of surface car parking into a multi-storey car park".
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Councillor Simon Speller, Stevenage Borough Council's executive member for environment and climate change, said: “We want Stevenage to be a top destination for businesses and for people to live in, work and visit, as well as a place that our residents are proud to call home.
“As part of this, our town is undergoing major regeneration at present. So why not have your say in how Stevenage will look in years to come? The heritage of the town is an important aspect to us all and this redevelopment will build on that, so I urge you to make your views count and help shape the future of Stevenage Station Gateway Area Action Plan that will help transform our town centre.”
The consultation runs until March 18.
To view the plans in detail and have your say, visit stevenageplanningpolicy.commonplace.is
What do you think to the development proposals for Lytton Way?
Let us know your views on the Stevenage Station Gateway Area Action Plan.
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