Stevenage Borough Council hopes a series of fun events and improvements are helping brighten up the town centre as plans for a full scale redevelopment take shape behind the scenes.

The Comet: Children meet cartoon characters at a Woody's Wild West event in Stevenage town cente.Children meet cartoon characters at a Woody's Wild West event in Stevenage town cente. (Image: Archant)

The Stevenage First partnership – which, as well as the borough council, is made up of the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, Herts County Council and Herts Chamber of Commerce – is busy putting together the legal agreements and working to attract investment for a £1 billion revamp of the ageing facilities.

But at recent council meetings the need to make interim improvements has been stressed.

Summer events have included a ‘Big Summer of Netball’ event which put children and adults through their paces on a special transportable court.

Kids also got to meet and take a selfie with some of their favourite superheroes and cartoon characters and the musically minded got mixing with the British DJ & MC Academy Mobile Music Centre.

A speciality market, which will return in the lead up to Christmas, also offered shoppers the chance to taste food from around the world and buy products that are not usually on sale in Stevenage.

Councillor John Gardner, who takes the lead for the council on the environment and regeneration, said: “It has been great to see people spending the summer in the town centre enjoying lots of different activities. We want to see a thriving town centre with a good variety of shops, markets, restaurants and cafes as well as events and leisure activities.

“With more people also moving into the new apartments it is important we promote a multi-purpose, vibrant centre for our town.

“New street furniture and paving at Queensway and The Forum will be in place by next spring and there will be an exciting announcement to come on a major coffee shop moving into the Town Square.”

More events are on the way before the festive season hits full swing on Thursday, November 17, with the big Christmas Lights switch on.

Visit www.stevenage.gov.uk/news-and-events/events for details of future activities.