Council brings forward further improvements to Aylesbury Town Centre

Work is due to start immediately after Christmas on more improvements to Aylesbury Town Centre, as part of Buckinghamshire Council's package of investment in the town.

Following on from work already completed to repair and clean the heritage buildings and statues in Market Square, this next phase of works will include:

• a power upgrade for Market Square, increasing power capacity in the market and allowing many more stall holders access to electricity supply, with the potential to expand the market with more varied stalls
• an upgrade of the lighting, to enhance and showcase the heritage features of Market Square including a newly designed lighting scheme to celebrate and illuminate the historic features of the square, also restoring power to historic lanterns and lighting the clock face on Market Tower
• introducing a permanent 'pedestrian only' section of Cambridge Street with improved paving, enhancing this part of the town centre and allowing businesses to make more use of outside seating

Part of the overall regeneration strategy for Aylesbury, these works are due to start in early January 2025 and finish by the end of March. This activity sits alongside other major developments the council already has underway to regenerate Aylesbury Town Centre, including the demolition of the derelict Gala Bingo Hall to make way for a brand new district for Aylesbury Town Centre. When finished in 2026, the new Pavilion Quarter will open up new routes in the town centre and provide a new destination for businesses and visitors and residents, with potential for entertainment space too.

As well as the new Pavilion Quarter and the other improvements, work is also underway to create brand new housing on the site of the Old County Offices. Through a 'Brownfield Land Release Funding' grant from the previous government, 46 brand new apartments are being developed on the site, breathing new life into this part of the town centre.

In addition, the council has also created a brand new wedding venue in the heart of the town centre in the historic Judges Lodgings building. The 'Private Lounge' is a stylish room with antique and ornate features that can seat up to 45 people.

Rachael Matthews is Buckinghamshire Council's Deputy Cabinet Member for Town Centre regeneration. She said: "These are truly exciting times for Aylesbury and these projects are evidence of how we are rolling out our regeneration strategy to build on the traditional features of the market town to update and improve the town centre for businesses, residents and visitors alike. We are carrying out a whole package of works to bring positive change and major enhancements which give Aylesbury town centre a major uplift. There will be an upgraded market with potential for significant expansion and more stalls of different kinds. There will be a brand new section of the town centre that better links the High Street with the thriving Exchange development and we will also see brand new, high quality housing, whilst overall retaining the heritage feel and traditional features of our market town.

This demonstrates the council's commitment to investing in our town centres and, in spite of pressures on our budgets, delivering improvements that will directly benefit residents and businesses and overall help make our town centres more attractive places where people want to stay for longer."