Riverside North Selection Jury Meets

I chaired the all-party selection jury for the Riverside North developer at Borough Hall on Wednesday, as we received presentations from short-listed developers. The Riverside North project will be a mixed use retail, leisure and residential project encompassing the area currently occupied by the Town Hall Office Block, the neighbouring Riverside House building and Horne Lane Car Park. The developers outlined the site's potential and their credentials for delivering the project. The jurors' scores are being collated before an announcement on the selected development partner for the project is announced in the coming week. I must emphasise that the decision to be taken next week following the presentations is to select a developer, not a final scheme. Once the appointment is made, extensive public consultation will follow to ensure that residents are able to have their say as the plans for the development take shape. Indeed, a commitment to real engagement with local residents is something we were very keen to hear from the developers presenting to us on Wednesday.

I'm pleased to be able to report that the jury received some excellent presentations from developers, who each set out their view of the site's potential and how they propose to deliver a development scheme Bedford can be proud of. While any developer can produce exciting ideas for a brand new project, local residents will want to know if it will be delivered, especially after a number of false dawns for Bedford in the past. Appointing a development partner who will deliver this important regeneration project for our town centre and who will consult openly with residents is essential. I look forward to announcing the appointed developer next week, and to working with them as Bedford continues to move forward.