Stephen McPartland MP, campaigning in Stevenage said, "Today is Polling Day in Stevenage and your opportunity to stop the talking and start the regeneration by voting Conservative.

"Stevenage Borough Council's regeneration plan is a ‘Billion Pounds’ joke on local people. It is ridiculous to believe that local businesses and the Council will raise a billion pounds to regenerate the town centre. We all know it is never going to happen.

"This ridiculous plan is almost a year old already and actively preventing regeneration. For example, Govia have put on hold their investment in the train station, shops are leaving and all because SBC cannot give up their addiction to the £3.5 million in car parking charges, which blocks every regeneration attempt."

"The Stevenage First framework is not a regeneration plan, it is not an investment vehicle, it has not been costed, it has no access to funding and does not have my support. In fact, it is a barrier to any future regeneration of the town centre and for over thirty years SBC have launched several regeneration plans and failed to deliver any of them.

"I am working with the Government on a transformational scheme to establish a new Stevenage Development Corporation to undertake the radical regeneration our town centre needs. This has to be established under energetic and independent leadership. It would have its own planning powers and ability to compulsory purchase the property needed. The Stevenage First framework is not deliverable, as it has no support from myself, Government or a funding partner, which are all essential as any scheme would be dependent on public and private finance." 

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