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Leighton Linslade Town Council

High Street Leighton Buzzard Planter and Benches Tender

Publication Platform
Cabinet Office

Publication Date
21 March 2024

Tender ID
51CE

Description
Leighton Buzzard Town Centre is an attractive historic market town. It attracts around 90,000 people to the town centre each month, with some of the busiest days being Tuesday and Saturday, which are market days. The town centre boasts an abundance of high-quality small eateries and coffee shops. However, there is a lack of well thought out street furniture and communal, social spaces to enjoy coffee, lunch or relax. There is inadequate seating for older people to rest or for mums to feed young children. In the summer months, well designed and sensitively located outdoor seating for lunch breaks or remote working would help to entice people into the town centre to support the retail offer. During the Spring and Summer months the High Street benefits from floral displays but there are issues with the placement and aesthetics of the planters. While the primary aim of these planters is to infuse colour into the High Street to create a sense of colour and wellbeing, more purposeful placement of the displays to achieve greater impact would be welcomed. A recent accomplishment is the successful six-month conservation project on the Market Cross which has garnered praise from residents. The three benches adjacent to the Market Cross look worn and uninviting, upgrading the seating and enhancing the area would ensure that the Cross remains a focal point of the town centre. The Town Council is currently working collaboratively with Central Bedfordshire Council on upgrading the electrical infrastructure in the High Street. With that in mind, the option to upgrade the benches to include USB charging ports would be welcomed within the contract.