Page 9 - Redditch New Town Centre Success or Failure

Redditch New Town, Success or Failure? Redditch Heritage

Letting policies have allowed great opportunities for existing tenants to move to
larger, or smaller, premises and these local 'unsung heroes' have thereby been
able better to contribute to the employment wellbeing of the town. The Corpora-

tion are also proud of the commercial success of the advanced speculative
factory programme. Units varying from high technology specialist pavilions,
through a range of standard units, to the very small enterprise units for new one
man businesses, have been the backbone of employment creation. Current letting
rates vindicate the substantial earlier building programme.

The Kingfisher Shopping Centre retains its rightful place as the feather in our cap.
The centre remains one of the largest, self-contained, enclosed and convenient
shopping centres in the country. The Corporation, with assistance from consult-
ants, made an early decision that the shopping centre should be a redevelop-
ment of the existing town centre, even though this would not be geographically
central to the town. By judicious phasing this allowed existing traders to retain
and improve upon their presence whilst at the same time increasing the size and
scope of the centre in phase with population growth. The land assembly and

exchange of land with the Borough Council, together with removal of a graveyard
presented many problems but the final commercial success and popularity of the
centre vindicates all the efforts made. It became clear that to provide a complete
and balanced facility necessitated a centre of sub-regional scale and the size of
the Kingfisher Shopping Centre reflects the needs of the additional population
catchment, without the tempting alternatives of out-of-centre hypermarkets

Some Disappointments

To broaden the work opportunities for residents, the Corporation have steadfastly
promoted the offices sector. In 1974 there was great elation to have attracted the
proposed European headquarters of the Sentry Insurance Company of America.
This company proposed an extensive and exceptional standard of accommoda-
tion, including sporting facilities available to the public, and would have demon-
strated the national and international importance of Redditch as a location for

offices. The site proposed was in a woodland setting and whilst the appropriate
planning permissions were obtained from the Secretary of State, the adverse
reaction from the Local Authority to losing some part of the wood so discouraged
the Company, which had put much emphasis on local empathy, that having
crossed the final hurdle, the company abandoned Redditch and have located in
another New Town.

The Corporation also held an earnest desire, shared by the Local Authorities and
representative groups, to establish a Community House from which many chari-
table and social groups could function in mutual support. After very considerable

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