Simons have failed in the last 3 yrs to produce a scheme acceptable to Hitchin Councillors and residents. Simons' ideas to develop Churchgate and the surrounding area are not now appropriate in the context of the major long term change in shopping habits, they appear to be dependent on scarce Council finance to make the scheme viable, and are preventing the pursuit of alternatives that are more likely to protect Hitchin's historic environment and contribute to an appropriate future for the town.