Editing Stevenage (section)

==Stevenage New Town==
[[File:Stevenage Town Square building works in 1959.jpg|alt=|thumb|Stevenage Town Square under development in 1959]]
[[File:Park Place from Stevenage Town Centre Gardens.jpg|alt=|thumb|200x200px|Park Place from Stevenage Town Centre Gardens]]
[[File:Stevenage Old Town - Middle Row.jpg|alt=Middle Row in Stevenage Old Town|thumb|Middle Row, Stevenage Old Town]]
[[File:Autumn Oak - Broadhall Way - Stevenage.jpg|alt=|thumb|Autumn Oak - Broadhall Way, Stevenage]]
[[File:Stevenage Town Centre Gardens.jpg|alt=|thumb|Stevenage Town Centre Gardens]]
[[File:Meadway Playing Fields.jpg|thumb|Meadway Playing Fields]]
Slow growth in Stevenage continued until just after the [[Second World War]], when the [[County of London Plan|Abercrombie Plan]] called for the establishment of a ring of [[New towns in the United Kingdom|new towns]] around London. On 1 August 1946, Stevenage was designated the first New Town under the [[New Towns Act 1946|New Towns Act]].<ref name="auto">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-37826783|title=The town that aimed for Utopia|first=Jodie|last=Halford|work=BBC News |date=11 November 2016}}</ref>

The plan was not popular and local people protested at a meeting held in the town hall before [[Lewis Silkin]], minister in the Labour Government of Clement Attlee. As Lewis Silkin arrived at the railway station for this meeting, some local people had changed the signs 'Stevenage' to 'Silkingrad'. Silkin was obstinate at the meeting, telling a crowd of 3,000 people outside the town hall (around half the town's residents): "It's no good your jeering, it's going to be done." Despite the hostile reaction to Silkin and a referendum that showed 52% (turnout 2,500) 'entirely against' the expansion, the plan went ahead.<ref name=Austerity>{{cite book|title=Austerity Britain 1945–51|author=David Kynaston|author-link = David Kynaston|isbn=978-0-7475-9923-4|pages=161, 162|year=2008|publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing|Bloomsbury]]}}</ref> The first significant building to be demolished to make way for a gyratory system was the Old Town Hall, in which the opposition had been expressed, in 1974.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stevenage.gov.uk/documents/planning-policy/supplementary-guidance-and-material-considerations/orchard-road-beams-2009.pdf|title=Orchard Road Conservation Area Appraisal|page=15|year=2009|publisher=Stevenage Council|access-date=8 February 2021}}</ref>

The inaugural chairman of the Stevenage Development Corporation was the architect [[Clough Williams-Ellis]], appointed by Lewis Silkin in 1946, with the radical town planner Dr [[Monica Felton]] as his deputy. In 1949 she became chairman but she was sacked within two years. There were a number of reasons for her dismissal by the government but a lack of hands-on town planning leadership and her opposition to the [[Korean War]] (for which she was later awarded the [[Lenin Peace Prize]]) sullied her reputation. Felton was replaced first by Allan Duff and later [[Thomas Bennett (architect)|Thomas Bennett]], who carried the project to completion. [[Gordon Stephenson]] was the planner, [[Peter Shepheard]] the architect, and Eric Claxton the engineer. Claxton took the attitude that the new town should separate bicycles from the automobile as much as possible. Mary Tabor was the Housing Director of Stevenage New Town from 1951 until 1972.<ref>{{Cite news |date=Feb 20, 2022 |title=Death Notices |pages=20 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> Tabor was a member of the Society of Women Housing Managers, which was founded by women trained under [[Octavia Hill]]. Mary Tabor, with the support of more than 40 housing management staff by 1960, provided a notably personal and caring service to tenants of the town. Many early residents of the town would recall with gratitude how much she had done for them and the town as a whole.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Balchin |first=Jack |title=First New Town |publisher=Stevenage Development Corporation |year=1980 |pages=160–161}}</ref>

In May 1953, Sir Roydon Dash took over the position of chairman from Bennett. In 1962, Sir Arthur Rucker was appointed Chairman of the Stevenage Development Corporation, retiring from the position in 1966. He was succeeded by [[Evelyn Denington, Baroness Denington|Evelyn Denington]], who joined the board in 1950.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=Spring 1966 |title=Corporation's New Chairman |journal=Purpose |pages=14}}</ref> Denington remained the chairman until the dissolution of the Corporation in 1980.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 2021 |title=The Forgotten Pioneers – Celebrating the Women of the Garden City Movement |url=https://tcpa.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/tcpaforgottenpioneers.pdf |access-date=28 April 2022 |website=Town and Country Planning Association}}</ref> Having become a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1974, Denington was elevated to the peerage in 1978, choosing to assume the title of Baroness Denington of Stevenage.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Baroness Denington of Stevenage |url=https://www.talkingnewtowns.org.uk/content/category/towns/stevenage/baroness-denington-of-stevenage |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=Talking New Towns |language=en}}</ref>

In keeping with the sociological outlook of the day, the town was planned with six self-contained neighbourhoods, each to house between ten and twelve thousand people.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Stevenage Official Guide |publisher=British Publishing Company Limited |year=1979 |page=17}}</ref> The first two estates to be occupied were the Stoney Hall and Monks Wood estates, in 1951. The Twin Foxes pub, on the Monks Wood estate, was Stevenage's first new public house and was named after local notorious identical-twin [[poaching|poachers]] ([[Albert and Ebenezer Fox]]). It closed in 2017. At least two other public houses have a direct relationship to local history. The Edward the Confessor pub (closed 2006) could have had a connection to St Mary's Church in nearby [[Walkern]] as [[Edward the Confessor|King Edward]] reigned from 1042 until his death in 1066 and Walkern's church dates from this period. The second pub with a link to local history is the Our Mutual Friend in Broadwater. The name of the pub is the title of [[Our Mutual Friend|a novel]] by [[Charles Dickens]]. Dickens was an occasional guest of [[Edward Bulwer-Lytton|Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton]] in nearby [[Knebworth House]] and knew Stevenage very well.

Next to be built and occupied were the neighbourhoods of Bedwell in 1952, and then came Broadwater and Shephall (1953), Chells in the 1960s and later Pin Green and [[Symonds Green]]. Another new development to the north of the town is Great Ashby. {{As of|2014}} it was still under construction. The Government gave almost £2 million for a purpose-built homeless shelter, which will serve a large part of Hertfordshire.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm130702/debtext/130702-0003.htm|title=House of Commons Hansard Debates for 02 July 2013 (pt 0003)}}</ref>

===Industrial area===
Stevenage Development Corporation zoned an area for industry between the East Coast railway line and the A1 road, which came to be known as Gunnels Wood Industrial Area. An additional area for industry has since been developed at Pin Green.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Stevenage Official Guide |publisher=The British Publishing Company Limited |year=1979 |page=49}}</ref>

The primary industrial area is in a location that is separate—but adjacent to—the residential areas of town. [[British Aerospace]] (now [[MBDA]]) was the largest employer in this area, but it has now been replaced by [[GSK plc|GSK]]. The firm occupies a large  complex, hosting one of GSK's two global R&D hubs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/media/press-releases/gsk-unveils-plan-for-one-of-europe-s-largest-life-science-campuses-in-stevenage/ |title=GSK unveils plan for one of Europe's largest life science campuses in Stevenage|date=16 July 2021 |access-date=6 March 2024}}</ref>

[[Airbus | Airbus Defence and Space]] (previously British Aerospace) is located in a smaller industrial park.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ukspacefacilities.stfc.ac.uk/Pages/Airbus-DS-Stevenage.aspx|title=Airbus DS Stevenage |access-date=6 March 2024}}</ref> This is the same area that both [[Matra Marconi Space]] and [[Astrium]], a prime contractor and equipment supplier of spacecraft, previously occupied.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/people/ap32632/matra-marconi-space |title=THE SCIENCE MUSEUM GROUP: Matra Marconi Space |access-date=6 March 2024}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web |url=https://connectivity.esa.int/contractors/eads-astrium-sas|title=EADS ASTRIUM SAS |access-date=6 March 2024}}</ref> The site is used to assemble a number of spacecraft and rovers including [[Rosalind Franklin (rover)|''Rosalind Franklin'']]<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-11-24 |title=UK-built Mars rover saved from museum retirement |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-63741201 |access-date=2024-11-29 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> and the [[Solar Orbiter]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Speare-Cole |first=Rebecca |date=2020-02-08 |title=Solar Orbiter designed in UK to embark on 'significant space mission' |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/space-orbiter-uk-space-mission-a4357126.html |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=The Standard |language=en}}</ref> and conduct analysis on others such as the [[NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return#Earth Return Orbiter (ERO)|Mars Earth Return Orbiter]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marklew |first=Philip |date=2020-10-19 |title=Airbus to bring first Mars samples to Earth |url=https://aerospaceglobalnews.com/news/airbus-to-bring-first-mars-samples-to-earth/ |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=AGN |language=en-en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-28 |title=Earth Return Orbiter’s first step to Mars |url=https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2021-06-earth-return-orbiters-first-step-to-mars |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=Airbus |language=en}}</ref>

There are also small- to medium-sized firms such as [[Jackie Hunter|Stevenage BioScience Catalyst (SBC)]], a new science park aimed at attracting small and start-up life-sciences enterprises, opened in 2011 on a site next to GSK.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.stevenagecatalyst.com/news/minister-for-universities-and-science-performs-top/|title=Minister for Universities and Science performs topping-out ceremony |date=13 July 2011 |access-date=6 March 2024}}</ref>

===Stevenage town centre===
The pedestrianised town centre was the first purpose-built traffic-free shopping zone in [[UK|Britain]], taking its inspiration from the [[Lijnbaan]] in Rotterdam,<ref>{{cite book |title=The Pedestrian and the City |last=Hass-Klau |first=Carmen |year=2014 |publisher= Routledge |page=87 }}</ref> and was officially opened in 1959 by the [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Architectural guide to Cambridge and East Anglia since 1920 |last=McKean |first=Charles |year=1982 |publisher=[[Royal Institute of British Architects|ERA Publications Board, RIBA Eastern Region]] |isbn=978-0-907598-01-5 |page=174 }}</ref> A landmark in the town centre is the [[Stevenage Clock Tower|clock tower]] and ornamental pool. Nearby is ''Joyride'', a mother and child sculpture by [[Franta Belsky]].

Next to the Town Garden, the Church of St Andrew and St George is an example of modern church design and has housed Stevenage Museum in its crypt since 1976. The church is a Grade 2 listed building. It is also the largest parish church to have been built in England since World War Two. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother laid the foundation stone in July 1956 and was also present at the consecration of the Bishop of St Alban's, the Right Reverend [[Michael Gresford Jones|Michael Gresford-Jones]], on Advent Sunday 27 November 1960. The frame is constructed from a continuous pour of concrete into moulds, creating [[interlacing arches]] and leaving no apparent joints. There are twelve [[Purbeck Marble|Purbeck-marble]] columns around the high altar and the external walls are clad in panels faced with Normandy pebble. The campanile houses the loudspeakers for an electro-acoustic carillon. A popular sculpture, 'The Urban Elephant' by [[Andrew Burton (sculptor)|Andrew Burton]], was commissioned in 1992.

Although revolutionary for its time, the town centre is showing signs of age and, in 2005, plans were revealed for a major regeneration to take place over the next decade. Details are still being debated by the council, landowners and other interested parties.
Multimillion-pound plans to redevelop Stevenage town centre were scrapped owing to the [[2008 financial crisis]] and the lack of interested private-sector partners.<ref name="thecomet.net">{{cite web|url=http://www.thecomet.net/news/stevenage_town_centre_redevelopment_plans_scrapped_1_1389325|title=Stevenage town centre redevelopment plans scrapped|first=Richard|last=Young|date=25 May 2012 }}</ref> On 24 May 2012 Stevenage Borough Council announced that a £250m scheme for the shopping area has been pulled by Stevenage Regeneration Limited (SRL) because of the continuing adverse economic conditions.<ref name="thecomet.net"/> The plans, which included realigning streets, moving the bus station and building a new department store, cinema, hotel, restaurants, and flats, had been given council planning approval in January 2012.<ref name="thecomet.net"/>

===Events===
Stevenage holds a number of annual events, including Stevenage Day<ref>[http://www.stevenage.gov.uk/townandcommunity/stevenageday] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100921010000/http://www.stevenage.gov.uk/townandcommunity/stevenageday|date=21 September 2010}}</ref> and Rock in the Park. In past years Stevenage Carnival has also been held, with a number of attempts to revive it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stevenagecarnivalday.org|title=The Energy Alternative That Is Going Mainstream}}</ref> In June 2022, Stevenage Day returned to the King George Playing Fields to celebrate the [[platinum jubilee of Elizabeth II]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecomet.net/news/22325114.thousands-enjoy-return-stevenage-day-two-years-virtual-events/|title=Thousands enjoy return of Stevenage Day after two years of virtual events|date=14 June 2022|website=The Comet}}</ref> It was the first carnival held in Stevenage since 2019, due to the [[coronavirus pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stevenage.gov.uk/news-and-events/news/plans-announced-for-stevenage-day-2022|title=Stevenage Day}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecomet.net/news/22333556.floats-fun-fancy-dress-remember-stevenage-carnival/|title=Floats, fun and fancy dress: Do you remember Stevenage Carnival?|date=1 August 2021|website=The Comet}}</ref>

In 2016, Stevenage "celebrated" its seventieth anniversary as a New Town.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-37826783|title=Stevenage: The town that aimed for Utopia|last=Halford|first=Jodie|date=11 November 2016|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=30 December 2016}}</ref>

===Later schemes===

The Town Centre Regeneration Strategy (2002) called for better-quality shops (including a major department store), improved public transport with a combined [[interchange station|bus and rail interchange]], high-density town-centre living, substantially improved civic facilities, increased office space and an improved 'public realm'.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stevenage.gov.uk/about-stevenage/regeneration-economic-dev/23959/ |title=Town Centre Regeneration Strategy |access-date=4 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813043506/http://www.stevenage.gov.uk/about-stevenage/regeneration-economic-dev/23959/ |archive-date=13 August 2014  }}</ref> YMCA Space Stevenage (a youth and community centre) was evicted and replaced by Paddy Power (a betting shop).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thecomet.net/news/stevenage_charity_centre_faces_eviction_1_3103054?usurv=skip|title=Stevenage charity centre faces eviction|first=Martin|last=Dunne|date=12 December 2013 }}</ref> Other well-known stores, such as [[Maplin Electronics]], and Marks & Spencer have also disappeared from Stevenage town centre.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/graemearcher/100243582/i-have-bad-news-prepare-yourselves-maplin-in-stevenage-has-closed/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102023121/http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/graemearcher/100243582/i-have-bad-news-prepare-yourselves-maplin-in-stevenage-has-closed/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-11-02|title=I have bad news. Prepare yourselves. Maplin in Stevenage has closed|work=News – Telegraph Blogs}}</ref>

The town has a large central library<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hertsdirect.org/services/libraries/findlib/libs/ste |title=Hertsdirect.org: Stevenage Central Library|publisher=Hertfordshire County Council |access-date=22 May 2013}}</ref> in Southgate, at the southern end of the pedestrian precinct, with facilities including printing, fax and photocopying, children's events, study space, a carers' information point and a large public computer suite, as well as a small branch library<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hertsdirect.org/services/libraries/findlib/libs/sot |title=Hertsdirect.org: Stevenage Old Town Library|publisher=Hertfordshire County Council |access-date=22 May 2013}}</ref> at the northern end of the High Street in the Old Town. There is also a public library in nearby Knebworth,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hertsdirect.org/services/libraries/findlib/libs/kne |title=Hertsdirect.org: Stevenage Old Town Library|publisher=Hertfordshire County Council |access-date=22 May 2013}}</ref> located in St Martin's Road.

The town is still growing. It is set to expand west of the A1(M) [[motorway]] and may be further identified for development. The main area of more recent{{when|date=March 2018}} development is [[Great Ashby]] to the north-east of the town (but actually in North Hertfordshire District). A considerable amount of in-borough development has been undertaken at Chrysalis Park on the old Dixon's Warehouse site adjacent to the Pin Green Industrial Estate.

=== Regeneration ===
The town and the Stevenage First partnership has now launched a new, £1bn, 20-year regeneration programme designed to transform central spaces and introduce new residential, commercial and retail facilities, amongst others.<ref name="bbc.com">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-43212856|title=£350m town centre revamp plans launched|date=2018-02-27|access-date=2020-01-02|language=en-GB}}</ref> The programme is formed of a number of individual schemes including the £350m ‘SG1’ programme being led by Mace<ref name="Sketchley">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbctoday.co.uk/news/planning-construction-news/mace-sign-for-regeneration-development-in-stevenage-town-centre/54014/|title=Mace sign for regeneration development in Stevenage town centre|last=Sketchley|first=Elisha|date=2019-03-14|website=Planning, BIM & Construction Today|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-02}}</ref> and the £50m redevelopment of Queensway North, the former site of Marks & Spencer.<ref name="stevenage-even-better.com">{{Cite web|url=https://stevenage-even-better.com/reef-to-develop-50m-queensway-north-stevenage-scheme/|title=Reef to develop £50m Queensway North scheme|date=2019-05-20|website=Stevenage Even Better|language=en|access-date=2020-01-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecomet.net/news/50-million-queensway-revamp-kick-starts-stevenage-town-centre-regeneration-1-5816168|title=Early phase of £1 billion Stevenage town centre regeneration set to start|last=McEvoy|first=Louise|website=The Comet|date=13 December 2018 |language=en|access-date=2020-01-02}}</ref> In addition, Stevenage's Town Square is also being regenerated with new bars, restaurants, flexible working facilities and shops being introduced to the area.<ref name="bbc.com"/> The plans are based on the local government authority's Local Plan which was given approval on 26 March 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecomet.net/news/stevenage-local-plan-holding-decision-lifted-1-5959516|title=Stevenage Local Plan can progress after holding decision lifted|last=Barrow|first=Georgia|website=The Comet|date=26 March 2019 |language=en|access-date=2020-01-02}}</ref> The town is also introducing a new public services hub which will consolidate services that are currently spread across Stevenage into one central space<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://stevenage-even-better.com/our-regeneration-schemes/|title=Our Regeneration Schemes|website=Stevenage Even Better|language=en|access-date=2020-01-02}}</ref>  A new [[Stevenage Bus Interchange|Bus Interchange]] opened on Sunday 26 June 2022, closer to the train station, and adjacent to the [[Gordon Craig Theatre]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Council |first=Stevenage Borough |title=Stevenage Bus Interchange to open on Sunday 26 June |url=https://www.stevenage.gov.uk/news-and-events/news/stevenage-bus-interchange-to-open-on-sunday-26-june |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=www.stevenage.gov.uk |language=English}}</ref> A number of other developments, including the conversion of a series of commercial spaces into residential facilities, are already completed or underway with a series of additional programmes set to launch in the coming years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.apse.org.uk/apse/index.cfm/news/articles/2019/regenerating-stevenage/|title=Regenerating Stevenage - apse|website=www.apse.org.uk|access-date=2020-01-02}}</ref>