--- title: "Churchgate Regeneration Zone - Hitchin Town Centre" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0690a7" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0690a7" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0690a7.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0690a7.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL" published: "2026-05-01" --- # Churchgate Regeneration Zone - Hitchin Town Centre Buyer: NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0690a7 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0690a7) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0690a7.json) ## Summary North Hertfordshire District Council is currently in the planning stage of a public procurement process titled "Churchgate Regeneration Zone - Hitchin Town Centre." The process, categorized under services, involves a preliminary market engagement exercise for the regeneration of the Churchgate area in Hitchin town centre. This procurement process focuses on construction and urban development services and is scheduled to generate feedback by 5th June 2026. Located in Letchworth Garden City, the Council has outlined its ambition to deliver a high-quality, mixed-use scheme that supports the town centre's long-term vitality. The engagement period is supported by a market insight session scheduled for May 2026, and subsequent activities will be underpinned by any insights gathered during this engagement phase. This contract presents substantial business opportunities for companies specialising in construction, urban development, real estate, architectural design, and consultancy services. Given the focus on urban regeneration and mixed-use development, businesses that have a track record in delivering complex schemes or those capable of providing architectural and planning services will find this opportunity particularly attractive. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are encouraged to participate, as the procurement process supports SME involvement. With the contract period expected to start on 1st January 2027, businesses interested in contributing to a project with significant civic and economic impact should consider engaging in this preliminary market engagement. This phase will help shape future procurement strategies and provide a solid foundation for prospective partnerships. ## Notice North Hertfordshire District Council (NHDC) is undertaking a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise in relation to the regeneration of the Churchgate area in Hitchin town centre. This is a complex, multi-faceted opportunity comprising the Churchgate Shopping Centre, Hitchin Market, and adjacent car parks including Portmill and St Mary's. The site sits at the heart of the town and plays an important role in its economic, social and civic function. Since establishing the Development Principles in May 2025, the Council has undertaken further work to explore the viability, deliverability and strategic direction of the scheme. This has included member workshops, technical analysis and engagement with the market. The ambition remains to deliver a high-quality, mixed-use scheme that supports the long-term vitality of the town centre, including new homes, a reimagined market offer, a viable commercial mix and enhanced public realm. Building on the Development Principles and the Consultation Summary Report, this work has explored a number of key factors in greater depth. This includes testing development scenarios and their impact on viability, reviewing the condition and performance of existing assets, and considering delivery route options and associated risk profiles. Parking and accessibility have also been considered, including capacity, distribution and potential mitigation measures. Early engagement with developers and delivery partners has provided initial insight into market appetite, delivery structures and the conditions required to support investment. The purpose of this PME is to seek market feedback on the emerging approach, including the viability of the proposed land use mix, key constraints to delivery, potential delivery models, commercial structures and procurement approach. Feedback will be used to inform the Council's future strategy and any subsequent procurement. In addition to this PME exercise, the Council will be engaging with the market through an informal breakfast briefing session at UKREiiF in May 2026. This session is intended to provide an opportunity for discussion and early market insight. Attendance is optional, and any information relevant to the opportunity will be made available through the formal PME process to ensure transparency and equal access. This engagement is being conducted for information-gathering purposes only and does not constitute a call for competition or commitment to procure. Participation will not confer any advantage in any future procurement process. The Council will ensure that any relevant information arising from this engagement is shared in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner. NHDC uses an e-tendering system (In-Tend) for all procurement activity, including this PME exercise. Interested parties must register and submit their responses via the Supply Hertfordshire portal: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/supplyhertfordshire/aspx/Home ### Planning Information Please see procurement documents. Information on how to access opportunity is available in this notice. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/040699-2026 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 1 May 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 1 Dec 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 1 Jan 2027 - 1 Apr 2027 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Planning | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL | | Locality | LETCHWORTH GARDEN CITY | | Post town | Stevenage | | Postcode | SG6 3JF | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLH East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLH2 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | | ITL 3 | TLH26 North and East Hertfordshire | | Local authority | North Hertfordshire | | Electoral ward | Letchworth South West | | Westminster constituency | North East Hertfordshire | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 45 - Construction work - 70 - Real estate services - 71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services ### Codes - 45000000 - Construction work - 45211360 - Urban development construction work - 45220000 - Engineering works and construction works - 70000000 - Real estate services - 70110000 - Development services of real estate - 70111000 - Development of residential real estate - 70112000 - Development of non-residential real estate - 71000000 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services - 71220000 - Architectural design services - 71410000 - Urban planning services - 71530000 - Construction consultancy services ## Release History - 1 May 2026 at 15:21 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/040699-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/040699-2026 1st May 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://in-tendhost.co.uk/supplyhertfordshire/aspx/Home - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0690a7. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0690a7.json.