Stevenage 75th anniversary magazine | biz4Biz - Magazine - Page 15
History
THE MOMENT OF TRUTH
Towards the end of the 1970s the
transition of power and authority
from the Development Corporation
to the Borough Council was marked
by a scaling up of Council staff to take
on the task of managing the town,
now well over 70,000 in population
and seeking to grow to 80,000
under its own steam rather than
through immigration. A campaign
and Private Member’s Bill to secure
a Garden City style deal and take on
the commercial assets was dashed by
the new Conservative Government of
Margaret Thatcher. Almost immediately
afterwards there was a big economic
downturn, marked in Stevenage by
the loss of many branch operations of
major businesses and consequent loss
of over 6000 jobs. Those new town
pioneers on the Borough Council under
the leadership of Brian Hall went into
partnership with the businesses still in the
borough. It took over five years, but by
the 40th Anniversary of Stevenage New
Town in 1986 the local economy was in
good shape again, and more balanced
than before. Lessons had been learnt.
Fast forward another thirty five years
and the same ‘never say die’ attitude,
combative spirit, aspiration and enterprise
of those pioneers are still there.
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