Have Your Say on the Riverside North Development for Bedford Town Centre

This week the Council's appointed development partner for the Riverside North project Coplan Estates is holding a public consultation event at the Harpur Suite. displaying the initial proposals for the site and gathering views on what residents and visitors to the town want to see included as part of this exciting, important development project for Bedford Town Centre.

It is crucial that local residents are involved from the start in helping to create this exciting new development for Bedford, and I hope lots of people are able to take advantage of this event and have their say on what we want for Bedford from the scheme. The current plans include a cinema, riverside restaurants, new retail opportunities and a hotel, as well as accommodation. The development provides an opportunity for Bedford to really make the most of the river on the west side of the town bridge, and to make our town centre a more vibrant and attractive place to come, not only in the daytime abut in the evening as well.

Representatives from Coplan Estates will be on hand throughout the event, which is on tonight (Wednesday 11th) until 8pm and then from 9 to 5 tomorrow and on Friday. If you are not able to get along to the Harpur Suite this week, the displays and information will all be available on Coplan Estates' website (www.coplanestates.com) from next week, together with an online questionnaire to enable people to register their views.

I went along to the Harpur Suite earlier, and recorded this short video: www.youtu.be/czccPW6UHdM

So, please do have your say on this crucial development for our town centre, and help ensure that we deliver a successful, attractive development which will deliver benefits for current and future residents of Bedford Borough for years to come. To have this important regeneration taking place even in these tough times will be very exciting, and the more people who get involved in shaping the scheme the better.