The UK high street getting multi-million pound makeover

A commuter town 20 minutes from London has been earmarked for a multi-million-pound refurbishment months after it topped a list of the UK's "most boring" places to live. Stevenage in Hertfordshire received the dubious honour in A ranking of the "most boring" towns in the country published in April. The Telegraph cited the town's lack of cultural attractions and unassuming appearance, which hides its Celtic, Roman and Saxon history. While local authorities haven't made any major steps towards countering such perceptions, they have unveiled a costly High Street refurbishment to improve life for locals and "encourage more visitors".

Herfordshire Council was awarded £4.6million to deliver new walking and cycling routes across the county in 2023, and the scheme set to transform Stevenage will make use of the funds when it launches in October. It will see new crossings installed in the town centre, alongside widened walkways, improved bus service access and raised tables, designed to reduce vehicle speed.

"[The changes] will make it easier and safer to travel around the High Street, especially for those with mobility difficulties," a spokesperson for the council told The Comet.

"Plaza-style seating areas will [also] be built to create a nicer environment to spend time in on the High Street. This will encourage more visitors to the area and directly benefit local businesses."

The local authority said the work had been pushed through following "positive early engagement" around two years ago, when 70% of residents supported the improvement scheme.

The work will run in two phases, from October 9 to November 21, and in the early new year.

"When fully complete, these improvements will make getting around the High Street safer and easier," the council spokesperson added. "Particularly when walking, wheeling, cycling or using public transport."

Despite its reputation as a dreary commuter town, Stevenage has a more interesting past than meets the eye. It was Britain's first post-war New Town, designed in 1946 for families moving out of London to reduce overcrowding and congestion.

It is also home to the base of international firms including Airbus and GSK and its town centre comprises one of Europe's first fully-pedestrianised shopping precincts, built between 1956 and 1959 and now a listed conservation area.