The People & Places Partnership is working with North Herts Council and Baldock Events Forum in planning for recovery in Baldock town centre, post-pandemic. This page provides access to up-to-date resources created as part of this work, as well as links to related guidance.
Engaging with local stakeholders
The process began in February 2022 through engagement with key community stakeholders, alongside a review of existing strategies for Baldock town centre. Such stakeholder engagement is central in planning for the recovery in Baldock town centre.
This work in Baldock is part of a wider approach to planning the recovery of neighbouring towns in North Herts including Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City and Royston too. Key local partners include the Baldock Events Forum, Hertfordshire County Council and Hertfordshire LEP. This short video gives a summary of the processes involved in planning North Herts’ town centre recovery.
The next step was the creation and publication of a town centre users’ surveys. This helps understand the perceptions and priorities of town centre users or customers.
Analysis of the survey findings alongside a study of the town’s business mix has now been completed and has been shared with key local groups. This helps determine possible steps for a partnership approach for planning the recovery of Baldock town centre and its longer-term revitalisation. This summary video shares the initial findings and next steps in planning for the short-term recovery and long-term revitalisation of Baldock town centre.
National guidance on town centre recovery
This work in Baldock is using the approach developed by People & Places for the Local Government Association’s revitalising town centres toolkit. This toolkit includes practical guidance on post-COVID 19 recovery planning including a case study on People & Places’ support for reopening & revitalising Selby town centre and reopening East Suffolk’s towns.
For up-to-date information on how town partnerships can respond to the COVID-19 and cost-of-living crisis, keep an eye the changing places page of this web site.
