Stevenage 75th anniversary magazine | biz4Biz - Magazine - Page 28
Stevenage Bus Interchange, MultiStorey Car Park and Sustainable
Transport Hub: Improvements to
transport infrastructure have been key
to unlocking the town’s future growth
and the ongoing SG1 redevelopment.
This includes upgrading the existing
bus station with a modern new facility
that has speeded up connections and
provided seamless access to the nearby
train station. Rail passengers and
commuters now also have the option
to park in a new 24-hour multi-storey
car park in Lytton Way. The landmark
structure provides 622 parking spaces, 30
for blue badge holders and 30 for electric
vehicle charging. In 2023, it was jointly
awarded ‘Best New Car Park’ in a town
or city at the British Parking Awards in
recognition of its outstanding design and
construction techniques.
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Life Sciences and Cell and Gene Therapy
Catapult: Hertfordshire LEP has played
an instrumental role in the development
of the life sciences sector in Stevenage
through a series of targeted investments
•
in the campus which is now home to
Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, GSK,
Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult
and LifeArc. In 2020, Stevenage was
awarded Life Sciences Opportunity
Zone status by the Government
to attract further investment from
national and international businesses
linking research and business expertise.
Hertfordshire was also awarded High
Potential Opportunity status for its
excellence in cell and gene therapies
by the Department for Business and
Trade which showcases potential
•
UK investment opportunities to its
overseas network. This clustering of
excellence has not happened by chance
but is due to a series of interventions
part facilitated by Hertfordshire
LEP working in partnership with a
supportive local planning authority and
local industry, driving further appetite
to invest.
•
A602 Improvements: Hertfordshire
LEP contributed towards the cost of
a series of interventions along the
As this pattern of investment shows, it is
not just bricks and mortar that delivers
tangible results. On 1 December 2020,
in direct response to the pandemic and
its impact on young people’s futures,
Hertfordshire LEP held its first online
‘Generation’ careers fair. Generation
Stevenage brought together the town’s
world-class employers to showcase the
exciting career opportunities available to
young people across science, technology,
engineering, maths (STEM) and healthcare.
More than 650 young people and their
parents/carers from Stevenage and nearby
towns registered to attend, to hear directly
from employers MBDA, GSK, Airbus,
NHS, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult
and Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst about
what it is like to work within their sectors.
Its success led Apprenticeships and Skills
Minister Gillian Keegan to say: “Generation
Stevenage is a brilliant example of a town
that has its act together, connecting young
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S T E V E N A G E A C ATA LY S T F O R G R O W T H | 2 0 2 4
A602 between Stevenage and Ware
to support a consistent standard of
highway provision along the route,
reduce journey times and improve
reliability, as well as increasing the
resilience of the route to increases
in traffic flow. A subsequent phase
of work includes the upgrading
of the roundabout with Gunnels
Wood Road to improve sustainable
transport measures and encourage
modal shift.
Development De-Risking and Land
Acquisition: To support Stevenage’s
ambitious long-term regeneration
programme, Hertfordshire LEP
has funded a number of major
studies to aid the understanding
and shaping of the town’s needs,
and to identify potential barriers to
regeneration, such as the availability
of utilities. The LEP has also funded
the acquisition of key sites and
buildings to enable the regeneration
programme to progress smoothly.
people to key sector industries where there
is high demand and creating a pipeline for
future talent and innovation.”
In 2023, Generation Stevenage returned
in person with nearly 1,000 students and
parents/carers attending to hear from 65
businesses, representing the LEP’s largest
employer exhibition to date. This is a real
lasting legacy for a town that has always
put its people first and Hertfordshire LEP is
pleased to have played its part.
www.hertfordshirelep.com
