David Lock Associates to Lead Stafford Town Centre Masterplan

David Lock Associates has been appointed to work in partnership with Staffordshire County Council and Stafford Borough Council, to deliver a new vision and masterplan for Stafford town centre.

The commission marks the next stage in the town’s programme of transformation, following significant investment and grants from the Future High Streets Fund, the Levelling Up Fund, and the Heritage Lottery Fund, alongside council co-funding. With recent projects completed, including the refurbishment of the historic Market Square and the creation of a new history centre, the ambition for the masterplan is to establish a deliverable, design and evidence-led framework to guide the future for Stafford in the immediate, medium and long term.

The Stafford Town Centre Masterplan will:

• Set out a clear, commercially viable vision for Stafford Town Centre.

• Link completed, ongoing and future development and infrastructure projects.

• Identify opportunities for high-quality public realm, open spaces and active town centre uses to improve the experience of residents, businesses, and visitors.

• Celebrate and protect the areas heritage while promoting needed new development.

• Provide a clear delivery plan aligned to the next Local Plan period, setting out priorities, phasing, and funding routes to unlock change.

Our team bring expertise in strategic planning, urban design, and placemaking, drawing on a track record of delivering large, complex regeneration projects. We will be working in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team, including; Genecon (economic strategy and delivery analysis), KMC (transport and highways planning and design), and Cushman & Wakefield (commercial analysis and project viability).

The masterplan will provide a blueprint for transformation that attracts investment, enhances the town’s character, heritage and identity, and establishes Stafford as a thriving, successful, sustainable town centre. The next stages will be baseline-evidence gathering, visioning, and community and stakeholder engagement.