The development vision for the site was described as a "once in a generation opportunity that we need to grasp with both hands" by Tom Pike of Stevenage Borough Council.
He wants the government to embrace economic transformation where it makes most sense.
The first part is about skills and capacity. There could be 5,000 to 7,000 more jobs in Hertfordshire alone. That’s very significant in terms of creating opportunities and investment for people within our catchment area. But Stevenage is also a global location, competing with places like Boston or Maryland or Oxford or Cambridge. We need to see some transformative investment to create a really strong front door for businesses here - the station gateway area is key.
Adrian Hawkins OBE of the Stevenage Development Board backed the point:
We've got a regeneration plan happening, but we are the first new town in the country and in serious need of some investment. The station gateway that we're talking about now is part of that and the town is just at one of those moments in time that only comes along once every 75 years. As part of our bid for the Towns Fund, we asked to be considered in terms of Levelling Up. There is real wealth in this county, but in Stevenage we also have some of the poorest wards in the UK and are often overlooked in terms of funding.
Will Rohleder highlighted the support the Stevenage Borough Council has given in terms of getting regeneration projects moving as evidence that investment can go a long way quicky in the area.
“The first stage is planning, and it’s just a breath of fresh air compared to say, London. Occupiers want certainty. We've been able to move at pace here. Having partners such as the Council and working closely with Adrian Hawkins OBE at the LEP and his team has been critical.”
Emily Slupek, who lives in Oxford and works across the Golden Triangle, talked about the different responses from the public sector.
There's a huge difference between certain councils working in collaboration with developers, where there's a real drive to improve the local economy, than some others. It happens in Stevenage and also in other locations such as Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool who are really pushing the knowledge economy. They are working together.
Dan Mason of AstraZeneca reflected that other countries appear able to mobilise promptly on strategic issues such as space and skills requirements, leaving the UK in danger of chasing shadows.
We need to get the capability in place quickly, yet everything seems to take a long time. Whether it's the planning or actually building something and getting into operation. Unless we can solve that as an industry – and, frankly, we haven’t for the last 30 years – then other places will monopolise opportunities.