Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Harold Heaton and Stella Walsh.

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any personal interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda. If the interest arises only as result of your membership of another public body or one to which you have been appointed by the Council then you only need to declare it if you intend to speak.

If the personal interest is a prejudicial interest, you must withdraw from the meeting. Normally you should leave the room before the business starts to be discussed. You do, however, have the same right to speak as a member of the public and may remain in the room to enable you to exercise that right and then leave immediately. In either case you must not seek to improperly influence a decision on the matter.

There were no declarations of interest by any of the members of the Task Group in any of the meeting’s agenda items.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Town Centre Overview and Scrutiny Task Group held on 14 January 2010 (Minutes enclosed).

The minute of the meeting of the Town Centre Overview and Scrutiny Task Group held on 14 January 2010 were confirmed as a correct record for signature by the Chair.

Following the Task Group’s study of the relevant topic areas, it will be appropriate for Members to seek views from the Executive Member (Business), the Disability Forum and representatives of local retailers and businesses before it finalises its report and recommendations.

With the consent of the Chair, Councillor Peter Malpas, Eileen Bee (the Disability Forum Co-ordinator), a few selected town centre retailers, a Market trader and a representative of the Chorley Chamber of Trade have been invited to attend the meeting to participate in an open discussion on the Task Group’s review of the vitality and viability of the town centre.

The Chair reminded the Members that, following the study of the five identified topic areas, it was appropriate for the Task Group to seek views from the Executive Member (Business), the Disability Forum, the Chamber of Trade and representatives of local retailers before the report and recommendations from the inquiry were finalised.

Accordingly, the Chair welcomed the following witnesses who had been invited to attend the meeting to participate in an open discussion on the Task Group’s review of the vitality and viability of the town centre :

·        Councillor Peter Malpas (Executive Member (Business));

·        Eileen Bee (Disability Forum Co-ordinator);

·        Malcolm Allen, Nigel Clare and Peter Morgenroth (Chorley retailers).

Mr Morgenroth was also representing the Chorley Chamber of Trade.

The Chair explained that the review had been conducted to focus around the following five key themes:

• Marketing and promotion of the town centre;
• Improvement of the cultural offer within the town centre;
• Gateways into the town centre (including parking,signage,etc);
• Use of vacant properties/Enforcement issues;
• Markets issues.

A summary note of the suggested recommendations that had been made by the Task Group over the course of its past meetings was circulated at the meeting to assist the debate.  The Chair emphasised the current draft status of the document which would form the basis of the debate at its final meeting on 4 March and requested, in particular, the views of the invited witnesses on any additional measures or initiatives which the authority might consider to attract more shoppers and visitors to the town centre.

During the ensuing debate, structured around the identified five town centre themes, the following salient issues, points of view and suggestions were raised by the Members and witnesses.

Marketing and promotion of the town centre.

• There is currently insufficient co-ordination of town centre promotion and marketing between the Council and High Street and independent traders.
• There is an acceptance that the degree of business experienced by town centre traders is to  a large extent, dependent on the commodity sold (eg shoppers are attracted to the Markets on Tuesdays and Fridays; certain shops’ business is brisker on Wednesdays, etc) and future promotions should be targeted accordingly.
• There is a need to promote the wide variety of shops available in the town centre, particularly the number of quality independent retailers, in an attempt to attract both residents who do not normally visit the town centre and other visitors from the surrounding catchment area.
• The promotion of the late night opening of shops on Thursday evenings would be reliant on more town centre retailers being persuaded to extend their opening hours.
• Future marketing and promotion policies and strategies should examine all means of attracting more shoppers and visitors to the town centre (eg through quality and attractive environmental improvements; reasonable car parking fees structure; provision of sufficient restaurants and cafes (especially to accommodate evening shoppers).
• The Council’s Officers to be requested to consider the production of a small single sheet to promote the town centre, which could  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

During the debate on the cultural offer within the town centre at the Task Group meeting on 8 October 2009, Members requested the production of a report detailing the targets and/or action plans and future aspirations of the Sports and Cultural Services Section of the People and Places Directorate. 

In response, a note summarising the principal town centre cultural and sports  & play events, together with the Directorate’s Business Improvement Plan for 2009/10, is attached for consideration.

Christopher Bryan, the Council’s Arts Development Officer will attend the meeting to assist the Task Group.

Following on from their attendance at the meeting of the Task Group on 8 October 2009, the Sports, Play and Physical Activity Manager and the Arts Development Officer presented a joint report which set out the range of cultural and sport/leisure activities organised or assisted by the Council in, or within the general vicinity of, the town centre.

It was the Group’s general consensus of opinion that the cost of hiring the Lancastrian Room was currently too prohibitive and most community groups.

As a means of optimising the use of the Lancastrian facility, a Member proposed the introduction of a trial scheme under which the Council could agree a programme of events (eg concerts, dances, etc) to be organised by local community groups, with the Council allowing the free use of the Hall and accepting responsibility for the promotion and marketing of the events in return for the retention of entrance fees.

It was AGREED that the Member’s suggestion for optimising the use of the Lancastrian Room, as outlined, be considered further at the next meeting along with other suggested recommendations for inclusion in the Task Group’s findings report.

The Head of Economic Development and the Town Centre and Markets Manager will report at the meeting on current developments.

The Town Centre and Markets Manager presented a copy of each of the Town Centre Master Plans for the towns of Chesterfield and Ludlow.

It was AGREED:

(1)     That a copy of each complete Master Plan for Chesterfield and Ludlow be made available for inspection in the Members’ Room.

(2)     That an Executive Summary of each report be provided to members of the Task Group and that, if subsequently Members consider that it will be beneficial to visit any of the towns, a recommendation could be included in the Group’s findings report.   

The final meeting of the Town Centre Task Group to consider the draft report of its findings and recommendations is scheduled to be held on Thursday, 4 March 2010.

The Task Group noted that the final meeting of the Group was scheduled to be held on Thursday, 4 March 2010.