Søstrene Grene opens in the Howard Centre at 9:59am on Friday 25 September, with a giveaway for the first 100. Nando's and Carter & George follow.

Søstrene Grene opens in the Howard Centre on Friday 25 September at 9:59am, and the centre is promising a giveaway to the first 100 people through the door.

The Danish homeware chain confirmed the date on the Howard Centre’s own what’s on page, which says the store “will officially open at the Howard Centre, Welwyn Garden City, on Friday 25th September at 9:59am”.

The centre says the opening will be marked with live classical music and a red carpet. The store will sell Scandinavian-inspired homeware, furniture, craft supplies, stationery, children’s products and everyday essentials.

It is not the only arrival. Two more tenants are confirmed by the centre, both without dates so far:

  • Nando’s. The centre says it is “excited to welcome Nando’s to The Howard Centre” and asks people to watch for opening updates (announcement).
  • Carter & George, a physiotherapy business co-founded by the England rugby international Jamie George, bringing physiotherapy and Reformer Pilates classes to the town (announcement).

Neither name appears anywhere in the borough’s planning register, which we searched on 20 September. That is not unusual. A change of occupier inside an existing shop or restaurant unit in the same use class does not by itself need planning permission, although illuminated signs do need advertisement consent, and none has been applied for under either name yet.

Three town centre dates in the next fortnight

The opening lands in a busy few weeks on Howardsgate, and two of the deadlines are ones residents can actually do something about.

Tuesday 23 September: the Peckers applications close for comment. The fried chicken restaurant and takeaway wants 41 Howardsgate, empty since May, and needs both a change of use and advertisement consent. We set out what is proposed in our report on the Peckers plans. Comments after that date are not guaranteed to be taken into account.

Tuesday 23 September: BID ballot papers go out. Town centre businesses start voting the same day on whether to keep the Business Improvement District for a third five-year term at 2.75% of rateable value. The ballot closes at 5pm on Thursday 29 October and the result is announced the next day. The detail is in our report on the BID ballot.

Wednesday 7 October: BT’s pavement kiosk closes for comment. BT Group plc has applied to install a Street Hub unit on the pavement outside 43 Howardsgate, with a second application for two advertisement panels on either side of it. Both were received on 18 August and are under consultation, with comments open until 7 October. The site is inside both the Welwyn Garden City Conservation Area and the town centre’s Primary Retail Core. The applications are 6/2026/1444/FULL for the unit and 6/2026/1443/ADV for the screens.

And one refusal, two days ago

Not everything on Howardsgate is going ahead. On 18 September the council refused 6/2026/1152/FULL, an application by Viewbridge Properties Ltd to add a second floor to 31A Howardsgate for three flats.

The decision notice gives a single, blunt reason. The extra storey “would fail to preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the Welwyn Garden City Conservation Area and would result in harm to the host building, a non-designated heritage asset”, and would “undermine the original design, form and proportions of the building”.

The notice also finds the flats themselves substandard: a “compromised internal layout and poor-quality living accommodation, including a residential unit that fails to meet the Nationally Described Space Standard in respect of minimum bedroom size requirements”. The council concluded the harm “is not outweighed by any public benefits”.

The application was submitted on 2 July and decided by officers rather than by committee.

Welwyn Garden City town centre: the dates that matter this autumn A timeline. 23 September 2026: comments close on the Peckers applications at 41 Howardsgate, and BID ballot papers are issued. 25 September: Søstrene Grene opens in the Howard Centre at 9:59am. 7 October: comments close on BT's Street Hub applications outside 43 Howardsgate. 19 October: last day to appoint a BID proxy. 29 October: the BID ballot closes at 5pm. 30 October: the BID result is announced. Howardsgate this autumn: six dates Two of them are comment deadlines on live planning applications. 23 Sep 25 Sep 7 Oct 19 Oct 29 Oct 30 Oct Peckerscommentsclose; BIDpapers out SøstreneGrene opens,9:59am BT Street Hubcommentsclose Last day fora BID proxy BID ballotcloses 5pm BID resultannounced Sources: Howard Centre what's on pages; Welwyn Hatfield planning register applications 6/2026/1383, 1384, 1443 and 1444; Welwyn Garden City BID Business Plan 2027 to 2032 ballot timetable. Graphic by Welwyn Online.
Graphic by Welwyn Online. Nando's and Carter & George have been announced without dates and are not on this timeline.

What it means for you

If you are going on Friday. The Howard Centre is on Howardsgate, AL8 6HA. The giveaway is limited to the first 100 visitors, and the doors go at 9:59am rather than 10. Parking charges and the centre car park are covered on our parking in Welwyn Garden City page.

If you have a view on the Peckers plans. Tuesday is the day. Comments go through the council’s planning register under 6/2026/1384/FULL and 6/2026/1383/ADV.

If you have a view on the pavement kiosk. Comments on both BT applications are open until 7 October. The site notice for the advertisement application runs to 30 September.

If you run a business in the town centre. Your ballot paper is posted on 23 September and has to be back before 5pm on 29 October. A proxy has to be appointed by 19 October.

We follow every decision in the borough on our Welwyn Hatfield planning news page.

Sources

All sources checked on 20 September 2026.