Organisers of a public workshop held to get views from residents on what is important in a town centre said they are pleased with the outcome.

The Hitchin Town Action Group meeting held last week was hosted by Hitchin Initiative, Hitchin Forum, The Hitchin Society and Hitchin Historical Society.

A spokesman for the group said: “The meeting was very well attended, with over 80 people present. There was a tremendous buzz for over an hour as six discussion groups jotted down ideas on a variety of topics to do with Hitchin town centre.

“What was very obvious is that people care passionately about the town centre and are keen to see it improved where possible.

“It is clear people delight in the distinctive nature of the town with its architectural heritage. People felt this is a key factor in attracting visitors from a wide area.

“Attendees also felt that although the town has suffered from some poor planning decisions and developments in the past, there must be scope for good modern design in new developments.”

Other issues raised were the need for traffic calming, 20mph speed limits and better provision for cyclists.

Car parking attracted the most comments, with concern about the quality and quantity of town centre car parks and objection to the level of charges compared to elsewhere in North Herts. The lack of action on congestion caused by all-day parking on streets close to the town centre is also an issue.

People also said a new access route for HGVs to the industrial area was needed.

The results and views from the meeting will be collated and presented to Hitchin councillors at their meeting on November 12.