Hatfield Town Centre - Update

10.22.14am GMT Wed 27th Jan 2010

Hatfield may be getting a new town centre after all. The development consortium will be lodging a planning application in the next few days for a revised redevelopment. Your local Liberal Democrats have greeted the news with cautious optimism, tempered with the knowledge that it is still not guaranteed financially.

A public exhibition is due in early February and local people will have a chance to comment on the revised plans.

Paul Zukowskyj, local Lib Dem Prospective MP commented: "The fact that the town centre appears to be moving forward is great news. The planning application means we're a significant step forward in trying to get our town centre sorted. It's a real shame, however, that it's taken almost two years since the original scheme died to get back to this stage.

"Local people are rightly disillusioned over the town centre situation, and to be told virtually nothing for nearly two years didn't help. But it appears the council are finally starting to treat people like adults, telling them where we are with the revised scheme, letting them know the funding situation is still not sorted, but looking hopefully forwards.

"There's still a long way to go and there may still be problems, but finally we have a glimmer of light at the end of the long dark tunnel over its town centre that Hatfield has had to put up with for far too long."