Stevenage 75th anniversary magazine | biz4Biz - Magazine - Page 22
“By 1959 a proper town was
emerging out of the mesh of
new neighbourhoods and
earlier villages and hamlets. The
Queen formally opened the new
pedestrian-only town centre,
another Stevenage ‘First’'’
Thatcher. Almost immediately afterwards
there was a big economic downturn,
marked in Stevenage by the loss of many
branch operations of major businesses and
consequent loss of over 6000 jobs.
Those new town pioneers on the Borough
Council under the leadership of Brian Hall
went into partnership with the businesses
still in the borough. It took over five years,
but by the 40th Anniversary of Stevenage
New Town in 1986 the local economy was
in good shape again, and more balanced
than before.
Fast forward another 40 years and the
same ‘never say die’ attitude, combative
spirit, aspiration and enterprise of those
pioneers are still there and can be seen
in the move for regeneration and further
progress for the town and its people.
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