"Our residents will not be left behind", the Stevenage Development Board's chairman Adrian Hawkins OBE has vowed, as he urged support for the town's science industries to employ locally.

Referring to Stevenage town centre's 20-year £1 billion regeneration programme, Adrian said: "Residents can see how much work has already taken place. The new bus interchange, the swift progress on the Autolus build, a new multi-storey car park and our new green square are just some of the immediate changes which are noticeable."

However, he said: “It is urgent we now consider how we accommodate, expand and deliver skills to our important science-based industries in the town and ensure they have the environment to develop, expand and employ locally.

"The businesses and sectors in Stevenage are competing on a global level and their success is intrinsically linked to our national economy. Our residents simply cannot and will not be left behind.”

The Stevenage Development Board was established in 2020 to oversee the development of a Town Deal for Stevenage. The board’s role is to provide strategic leadership and to set out a Town Investment Plan with a clear vision, strategy and delivery proposals in place, which reflect the ambitions of local people.

The board consists of key stakeholders from public sector organisations, private businesses and not-for-profit organisation, to ensure a diverse range of views are represented.