Cycling UK Stevenage meeting with Hill

On 22nd January 2026, representatives from Cycling UK Stevenage had a site meeting at the Icon development about the lack of lighting in the underpass there.

The meeting - which took place in the underpass itself - was attended by the Site Project Manager and 2 colleagues from Hill along with Cllr Coleen de Freitas, Stevenage Borough Councillor for Old Town.

We discussed the underpass itself and how it differs from all other underpasses across the town. On inspection it is clear that the structure was built over the already in existence cycleway - this explains the void above the cycleway retaining wall nearest the road carriageway and the pillars supporting the structure on the opposite side where there is no wall along the cycleway itself.

Hill showed us plans on official documents dating from 2015 which confirm that the key issue is about ownership of the actual underpass structure itself. 

• It is beyond the site boundary of the new development - as seen on the document shared with us by Hill at the meeting.
• It is not an asset of Hertfordshire County Council. The lighting on this underpass is not shown on the HCC mapping - which shows all other HCC maintained lighting with yellow squares as shown on the extract in the gallery below.

We thanked Hill for the provision of the temporary lighting which they installed before Christmas. As parts of the development have now reached completion, residents have already begun to move in and the underpass is a key link for them walking to destinations in the nearby Old Town High Street. 

We are in contact with officers from Hertfordshire County Council and hope that now all parties are really clear on the situation - and the issues around ownership that need to be resolved - a permanent solution should be reached soon.

Read more about the Icon Underpass Campaign