Opinion: Community vision needed for Leighton Buzzard town centre - do you agree?

All towns of course have different issues and many simply slip through the net of conflicting ideas. Those with a vision for change (like Liverpool had) shows improvement is possible when people get together for a purpose and without different politics.

Leighton Buzzard like every town has its own challenges. However, because of its fairly compact size, it should be easier to have a vision, for particular the high street, moving forward.

My own gut feeling for Leighton town, as a retailer for 30 years in the town, as opposed to an independent observer is that we should look at the town centre, not just as shops with empty spaces and permanent scaffolding, but as a community centre which has shops in it.

The closure of banks and building societies is an unexpected blow to the town apart from anything else.

I suggest that empty properties in the town could be used for community projects such as clubs, art classes, music classes, repair or recycling shops etc, on short lets until tenants are found if ever that may happen.

The rates could be waived while in community use. Coupled with that, after school activities could take place in town, in addition to school activities for children.

Free parking after 3pm could be a new chapter to the town’s future in that regard. The town centre would be a family friendly environment. Without a vision for the town going forward, or backward as the case may be, hangs in the balance with resultant issues.

All interested parties need to sit to discuss the vision without prejudices.

> What’s your opinion on the future for Leighton Buzzard town centre? Join the debate by emailing [email protected] or comment on our social media posts. Comments may be used in the LBO’s letters page.