OCCUPANTS and voluntary groups at the Bill Salmon Centre will be relocated ahead of the first phase of the town centre regeneration project.

Plans to demolish the day centre and erect a four-storey building consisting of five shops and 15 flats were agreed during a cabinet meeting of Welwyn Hatfield Council on Tuesday.

The plans are the first stage of Welwyn Hatfield Council’s revised plan to finally redevelop Hatfield, which suffered a series of funding setbacks over several years. Work is now expected to begin next year.

Under the proposals, current Bill Salmon tenants CVS and Herts Savers would move to another town centre building, with HARC (Herts Area Rape Crisis) moving to the Jim McDonald Centre in High View.

Hornbeams and MIND Computer Club could go either to the Campus West tower in WGC or stay in Hatfield town centre.

Welwyn Hatfield Ethnic Minority Group (WHEM) and Hospitaller have already agreed in principle to move to Campus West.

Welwyn Hatfield Council leader John Dean said: “In order to make a start to the redevelopment of Hatfield town centre it was critical that the Bill Salmon Centre, which has been designated as phase one of the project, is made vacant to enable works to begin.

“I am very pleased we have been able to suitably relocate the voluntary groups housed within the centre to enable them to continue with their valuable work for the community.”