South Side is a mixed development of retail, food and drink establishments, a cinema, public space and housing on land just behind Leighton Buzzard High Street. There has been talk about the use of this land for over 20 years and in 2011 Central Bedfordshire commissioned three companies to find out what the towns people wanted to see in the town and how this could be incorporated. The South Side Development Brief is the outcome. The Brief has been created on what the people of the town have asked for. Central Bedfordshire started to buy up the land it did not own within the designated site and do other essential work in preparation of the development going ahead. In 2014 this stopped. The Council have yet to buy up the last 20% of the land. There seems to be a change of heart and from what can be determined from Central Bedfordshire a feeling that the development would be a "White Elephant" and the land would be better as residential. The opposite is true to this thinking. The economic argument is that the South Side would be a major benefit, creating over 500 full and part-time jobs, increasing footfall which will benefit existing businesses and the market. There is a feeling with some at CBC that retailers wont come to Leighton Buzzard. They will if the right size modern units are built on the South Side. Many councils around the country are pursuing major developments in their town centres most based on the mixed development model. The town needs this, the majority of people want this, the Government would like to see this happen. The stumbling block is Central Bedfordshire. We need to tell CBC that this is what we want and they should actively pursue building the South Side.Please sign this petition if you haven't signed the paper version.