Vibrant new creative hub could be coming to former Leighton Buzzard day centre

A plan to establish a creative hub at Duncombe Drive day centre – as well as 47 affordable homes in the soon-to-be-vacant Westlands Residential Home – has been put forward to Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC).

The LBO understands that the proposal is being led by London-based company The LOWE Group, who wish to develop the homes – and that, if successful, it would be willing to work in partnership with Leighton Buzzard community interest company, South Side Studios, to let it use day centre as a community arts space.

Fiona Garden, founder of South Side Studios, said: “The Duncombe Drive site presents a huge opportunity for the town centre – and the Lowe Group proposal brings with it the potential for a vibrant, creative hub.

“Already well-served by site-specific parking and facilities, a creative health hub at the Westlands site could create a meaningful physical and social link from the ‘Land South’ to the High Street.

"Activating this and other vacant spaces in Leighton Buzzard could be the key to meeting the challenges faced by our high street – supporting and connecting business, arts, health, and community to find innovative approaches, to help local enterprises scale, and set the town apart as a lively creative destination.”

Fiona, a photographer, founded South Side Studios after she and her husband moved to Leighton Buzzard, but found that there was a distinct lack of spaces for creative business people to work and experiment.

Fiona set about establishing South Side Studios, which now has two spaces – one based in Waterborne Walk, and the other near Church Square.

Alex Mayer MP told the LBO: "South Side Studios have proposed a five-year 'meanwhile use' creative hub that also provides health services.

"At its heart would be space for talented local people to work and connect.

"The space has the potential to host community events and arts, innovative projects like a ‘Men in Sheds’, ‘Repair Café’, and ‘Library of Things’ respectively – with hopes to partner with independent businesses on a café which would open onto the gardens on the edge of the park."

Fiona explained that the new arts space could be somewhere that the Primary Care Network could suggest people visit to improve their mental health.

It would also be a space that new a Leighton Buzzard group of creatives, called Culture CoLB, could use.

It is believed that the arts space and affordable homes would be a temporary feature in the town, whilst the council decides what to do with the site in the long term.

Central Bedfordshire Councillor, Victoria Harvey, added: "Leighton Buzzard town centre is desperately short of venues for a whole range of community activities.

"It is such a waste as we have fantastic voluntary groups and very talented professional, musicians, film makers and artists in the town – but they have to travel out of Leighton Buzzard to find the space for their activities."

The LBO has approached The LOWE Group for a comment and understands that, at this stage, no official planning application has been submitted to Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC).

The LBO contacted CBC for comment but is yet to receive a response.