Improving the gateway to Cannock Chase

Posted on: Thursday, August 18th, 2016 In: Hednesford Neighbourhood Plan

Improving the gateway to Cannock Chase

Hednesford Town Council is looking to improve unsightly and underused areas in the town centre as part of their Neighbourhood Plan.

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They are looking into various uses for land that lies between Market Street and Victoria Street, and off Cardigan Place, and are asking residents of Hednesford to have their say on what development they would like to see.
Suggestions have included re-introducing a market, constructing a hotel or even building new homes on these sites.
They hope, by developing these sites, they can make the route into the town centre more attractive, encouraging shoppers to walk into town from Tesco and Aldi, as well as giving them something they want to use.
Hednesford is also the closest town to Cannock Chase, something which could provide more advantage for the area.
As the gateway to the Chase, refurbishment of this area could encourage more tourism, more footfall through town and stronger links between the retail parks, shops, the town park and the Hednesford Hills.
Councillor Brian Gamble, who has played an active role in promoting the plan, said the first step, if redevelopment plans were attractive to the community, would be to sit down with landowners and see what could be done.
“We’d need to produce a detailed development brief, together with the landowners and the District Council,” he said.
“We’d be looking for plans which actively enhanced the vitality and viability of Market Street and the appearance of the area as a whole. We’d also like to improve pedestrian and cycle links between these streets and Hednesford park if possible.
“As the closest town to the Chase, it would be wonderful to see Hednesford function more as a gateway for tourists.  Adding accommodation would not just improve the appearance but encourage more footfall through the town too, so this is another option.”
The Neighbourhood Plan is your chance to have a say about the town. Would you love to see a market return? Do you think a hotel would be good for the town, and do you think more needs to be done to entice tourism to Hednesford?
You have until Wednesday, August 31st to have your say – the draft plan plus questionnaires are available in hard copies at Hednesford Library and the Pye Green Community Centre, or you can go online to fill yours in at https://www.hednesford-tc.gov.uk/hednesford-neighbourhood-plan/.