Town Centres
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Temujen Gunarwardena painting the mural. | ARTIST GETS TOWN INTO THE FLOW A mural, painted by Frome-based artist Temujen Gunawardena, showing the local water cycle and its relationship with the River Frome, has been added to the former Shoe Zone unit in the Market Place. It is the latest element of Frome Families for the Future’s River Vision Project, a collaboration with Frome Future Shed via Green and Healthy Frome, and supported by FROME Town Council. The project’s aim is to foster a closer connection between the people of the Somerset town and the river, with benefits for mental health and well-being, creating opportunities for play, and increasing awareness of the river’s vital role in our ecosystem. Clerks & Councils Direct, November 2024 |
■ Work has started on the HOLMFIRTH Town Centre Access Plan, a £10.3 million investment scheme to make it more accessible for businesses, residents and visitors to the West Yorkshire town. The market hall and footbridge will be replaced with a community events space, along with electric vehicle points, car parking, widened footbridge and footways, new kerbing, and improved drainage.
Clerks & Councils Direct, September 2024
APP OFFERS NEW VIEW OF HISTORIC TOWN CENTRE
ROSS-ON-WYE Town Council has launched a self-guided walking trails app, thanks to funding of £7,000 through the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The app is free to download and includes walks around the area with designated stops to learn more about the beautiful and historic Herefordshire town. The first walk takes listeners on a walk through the town centre and to part of the river area, with eight stops along the way. More trails will be added over the coming months, along with further development of content and audio. Town clerk Carla Boyles said: “We are thrilled with how the app looks and works. Tourism is an extremely important part of the work the council does. We are grateful for the funding and to AT Creative for their work.
Clerks & Councils Direct, March 2024
 | CREWE BID WILL BRING IN £1.6 MILLION INVESTMENT CREWE Town Council has created a Business Improvement District (BID). The BID will result in £1.6 million of investment managed by businesses in the Cheshire town for businesses to deliver an expanded programme of events and activities, projects to create a cleaner, greener and safer town as well as a five-year marketing and promotion campaign to connect more than 200,000 consumers with the message ‘Crewe is changing for the better’. Clerks & Councils Direct, March 2024 |
LEVY FUNDS TOWN IMPROVEMENTS
KENDAL Town Council has allocated funding from the Community Infrastructure Levy to support priorities set out in its Council Plan. It has allocated £50,000 to improving footpaths in the Cumbrian town and a further £50,000 to improve the bus station, signage and cycle storage. Another £35,000 was allocated to help Westmorland and Furness Council develop a pump track at the park in Sandylands and £30,000 to support the work of Kendal Futures in implementing town centre improvements.
Clerks & Councils Direct, March 2024
BANKING ON A NEW-LOOK CENTRE
Newark and Sherwood District Council is looking to buy the former Lloyds Bank as a key part of its plans for OLLERTON town centre. The Government awarded the council £20 million in November towards plans that include demolishing the former bank building. That will create a mini-high street with a cinema, shops, pubs and eating areas and a centre for public services.
Clerks & Councils Direct, March 2024
FUNDING BOOST FOR DEWSBURY
DEWSBURY in West Yorkshire, will become one of many towns up and down the country to receive part of a £20 million government boost as part of a new long-term plan. The aim of the plan is to give local authorities certainty to deliver projects over the next ten years, and the flexibility to invest in interventions based on needs and priorities unique to the local area. This funding builds on the existing Towns Fund, a government initiative to help address towns’ growth constraints, deliver economic benefits and improve the lives of people within local communities. This funding will be allocated by Kirklees Council and Dewsbury Town Deal Board in partnership to support development projects in Dewsbury town centre, building on the existing Dewsbury Blueprint. Cllr Scott, leader of Kirklees Council, said: “This funding is tremendous news for the future of Dewsbury. Our blueprint plans perfectly align with the government’s intentions for the funding, which are to improve and future-proof local areas by approaching development opportunities from every possible angle. “As a resident of Dewsbury myself, I know it has huge potential as a prosperous and vibrant town, where people love to live, work and visit. This funding will hugely help us on our way to realising that potential.” Keith Ramsay, Chair of Dewsbury Town Deal Board, said: “We’re really excited to hear that the government are almost doubling their investment in Dewsbury. This will potentially allow us, as a board, to implement more of our fantastic ideas for the town’s improvement.”
Clerks & Councils Direct November 2023
 | GRANT FUNDING FOR TOWN IMPROVEMENTS CALNE Town Council has secured £10,000 of funding from Wiltshire Council as part of the Wiltshire Towns Programme, which supports towns to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and increase footfall and visitor numbers. The money will support a range of improvements over the next 12 months, including improvements to the look of the town centre and helping to market the town and its events to a wider community. Attracting more visitors will help to support local businesses and boost the local economy. Grant funding will also help to improve the town’s events programme and support tree-planting activities. In addition, the council is hoping to attract sponsorship from local businesses. Meanwhile, the amenities and facilities committee has approved plans for upgrades to the town’s Recreation Ground, following consultations with residents. These include converting the tennis court area into a multi-activity zone for family use, with a small paddle boat area, coin-operated car track, inflatable play area and crazy golf. A small orchard will be planted to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III, while longer term plans include converting a redundant council depot into a public toilet and cafe. Work is already under way on the first phase, and the new facilities should be ready for use by spring. Clerks & Councils Direct, March 2023 |
 | LEVELLING UP KENDAL Town Council in Cumbria has ambitious plans to regenerate parts of the town centre through the Levelling Up Fund. It has spent 12 months preparing a bid in collaboration with Cumbria County Council, Kendal Futures and South Lakeland District Council, which will submit it to the Secretary of State. Cllr Doug Rathbone, Kendal’s mayor (pictured), said: “This is a bold move to kickstart the vital regeneration of the heart of our town. We’re looking to make the most of our impressive heritage and move on from some of the 1980s schemes which are well past their sell-by date.” The £13.5 million initiative has grown out of Kendal’s Vision scheme, which encourages local residents and businesses to share their aspirations for the town. Clerks & Councils Direct September 2022 |
 | REVITALISED AREA OPEN FOR BUSINESS AFTER nine weeks of construction work and two weeks early, a long awaited enhancement scheme for the Market Place in WISBECH, Cambridgeshire was completed in late June. The site was officially handed over to Wisbech Town Council by Nick Barker of NB Construction. The Market Place is now fully open to the public and market traders, though the final touch of a council crest in the central area will be added later. Clerks & Councils Direct July 2022 |
PLANS TO ENHANCE VISITOR EXPERIENCE
CALNE Town Council in Wiltshire has been awarded £10,000 from the government’s Welcome Back Fund to support improvements in the town centre. It will work with specialist company City Dressing Ltd.
The fund is administered by Wiltshire Council, which has commissioned City Dressing to work with a number of towns. Calne is considering the installation of lamp-post banners, updating the shopping centre roof with coloured skylights and information totem poles and hanging signs on the High Street.
The council is also planning changes to the town’s cemetery, which is approaching capacity. To create more space, it will convert pathways and remove bushes and will also build a columbarium to hold up to 100 sets of ashes. The idea was put forward by new director of council services, Steve Nash, who believed that it would extend the life of the facility for at least two years. Meanwhile the council is looking for land to create a new cemetery.
Clerks & Councils Direct July 2022
 | PLAN TO TRANSFORM TOWN CENTRE CHESTERFIELD Borough Council in Derbyshire has received nearly £20 million of Levelling Up funding from the government to transform the town centre. The funding, which the council has matched with £6 million of investment, will underpin its Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield improvement plan. Clerks & Councils Direct May 2022 |
KIRKLEES Council in West Yorkshire launched a campaign in mid-November entitled “Bye Bye Clickmas, Hello Christmas” to encourage people to shop local. It released a series of short films featuring residents and businesses and showcasing retail, dining and leisure on offer locally. Cllr Eric Firth said: “There were lots of things missing from the Christmas festivities last year. It is difficult to get that magic feeling shopping online, so we want to encourage residents and visitors to visit our shops, restaurants, bars and parks. I would remind people to be kind to each other so that everyone can safely enjoy some festive fun.” The district council supported a line-up of festive events, including carol singing, Santa trails, light switch-ons, pantos and grottos. A highlight was the Kirklees Concert Season, which included concerts by the University of Huddersfield Brass Band and the Huddersfield Youth Choir and several performances by Opera North.
Clerks & Councils Direct January 2022
 | VIDEO PROMOTES TOWN’S ATTRACTIONS SHERBORNE Town Council has released a new video aimed at promoting the Dorset town as a place to visit. The two-minute Visit Sherborne video showcases local businesses and attractions such as the town’s abbey and castles, with contributions from residents. It was funded by Dorset Council’s Reopening High Streets Safely Fund and aims to encourage tourism, despite the closure of the town’s Tourist Information Centre earlier in the year. Town clerk Steve Shield said: “We worked closely with G&T Productions to put together a film that summarises the reasons to visit our beautiful, historic town, as well as encourage shoppers back to the high street. Judging by the positive feedback we have received, the town is very happy with the result.” The video is available via the council’s social media pages and has reached nearly 20,000 people, been shared over 100 times and received hundreds of positive comments. Clerks & Councils Direct November 2021 |
 | POPULAR PEDESTRIAN SCHEME EXTENDED SHAFTESBURY Town Council has submitted a request to Dorset Council to investigate the feasibility of a permanent pedestrianisation priority scheme, following a positive reception for temporary measures following lockdown. A Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) was introduced in June 2020 to enable the High Street to reopen safely as part of the Covid-19 recovery process. Narrow pavements made it impossible to keep to government guidelines on two metres social distancing, and so temporary pedestrianisation was introduced to facilitate public safety. Surveys of businesses and shoppers showed positive feedback, with 83 per cent of shop owners saying in May 2021 that it was having a positive effect on their business. However, when Step 4 of the government’s roadmap is implemented and social distancing restrictions are lifted (currently planned for 19 July), the High Street will revert back to traffic. The town council has submitted an application to temporarily close the street on Thursdays until 2pm to allow a newly introduced street market to continue over the summer. If approved, this scheme would need to be managed separately, as TROs have clear legislative conditions and consultations can take 12–18 months to complete. Cllr Piers Brown, lead member for economic development, said: “Temporary pedestrianisation has been a great success, helping our shops through an extremely difficult trading year. With 86 per cent of shoppers and 84 per cent of businesses supporting pedestrianisation becoming permanent, I hope Dorset Council will accept our application so the High Street can continue to flourish. Clerks & Councils Direct, July 2021 |
Plans for the second-phase redevelopment of NEWARK’s historic Buttermarket building are progressing, with all units on the first floor now occupied. Phase two will cover the upper floor of the shopping centre in the Nottinghamshire town. Plans were outlined in February at a meeting of Newark and Sherwood District Council’s economic development committee. Planning approval is not required for the second phase, but the schedule of works must be checked by the council’s conservation team to ensure that listed building consent is not required. The district council joined with Newark Town Council to buy the struggling centre, which links the Market Place and Middlegate, for £800,000 before it went to auction. It forms an important part of plans to regenerate the town centre.
Clerks & Councils Direct, May 2021
SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT SHOPPING LOCAL
MOLD Town Council in Flintshire has launched a new website to provide information and promote local businesses (www.totallymold. org.uk). Business listings are free of charge, and there are plans to add a “What’s on” guide to the site. In response to the pandemic, the council has also developed the Totally Mold voucher scheme. Vouchers are sold in denominations of £5 and can be spent at more than 70 participating businesses. They are valid until 30 June, and to date almost £12,000 worth have been sold. The mayor, Cllr Teresa Carberry, said: “The town council recognised the massive challenges businesses face at this time. This initiative has been a tremendous success; as a council, we want to encourage people to stay and shop within the town.” Mold has fared better than many towns during lockdown, with seven businesses closing in 2020 but also 22 new or expanded ones. Business and regeneration officer Joanna Douglass said: “Many businesses have developed websites or provided click and collect services, set up virtually overnight, to help their customers. It has never been more important to shop local, keeping our towns vibrant and providing a boost to the local economy.”
Clerks & Councils Direct, May 2021
 | TOWN CELEBRATES AS RETAIL REOPENS MARLOW Town Council in Buckinghamshire celebrated the easing of lockdown and the reopening of shops from 12 April by putting up bunting across the town centre and offering free parking until 11 May. The mayor, Cllr Richard Scott, said: “This is a small celebration of another milestone being achieved – and a bright and cheery welcome back for shoppers.” From 12 April the government allowed the reopening of retail, outdoor hospitality and attractions, personal care, indoor leisure including gyms, libraries and community centres, self-contained accommodation, children’s activities and indoor parent and child groups. Clerks & Councils Direct, May 2021 |
 | HRH the Earl of Wessex visited NEWBURY Market in early December to show his support during the Covid-19 pandemic. The market was open every Thursday and Saturday throughout 2020 (for essential items only during lockdown periods), and welcomed back traders for Christmas shopping. The market manager, Debbie Smith, and Cllr Elizabeth O’Keeffe, mayor of the Berkshire town, accompanied Prince Edward as he met traders. Cllr O’Keeffe said: “We are extremely proud of our market and were delighted to welcome HRH. It's been an especially difficult year for everyone, but the market traders have continued to come along in all weathers.” Clerks & Councils Direct, January 2021 |
LUDLOW Town Council and other local bodies were awarded £20,000 of funding by Shropshire Council in August to support tourism and assist the town’s recovery during the pandemic. The Love Ludlow project was led by the town council, the local chamber of trade and Ludlow Destination Partnership.
The initiative encouraged safe exploration of Ludlow’s shops, cafes, restaurants and heritage attractions, including Ludlow Castle. Banners, posters and social media helped to communicate the core message that the town was open for business.
It is continuing in the run-up to Christmas, with a message of shop local, eat local and stay local. The town’s market will be trading seven days a week in December, including local produce and antiques markets. There will be Xmas gift markets on 28 and 29 November, and other festive markets including Tinsel Tuesdays.
There will be no Xmas lights switch-on event this year, but lights will be in place by the end of November. Senior citizens are one of the council’s priorities, and it will deliver free festive gift bags with snacks, decorations and tipples at the beginning of December. The bags will also contain Xmas drawings by local children.
Clerks & Councils Direct, November 2020
 | MARKET BID SUCCESS Clerks & Councils Direct September 2020 |
 | COUNCILS PREPARE TO REOPEN THEIR TOWN CENTRES Clerks & Councils Direct, July 2020 |
TOWN CENTRE PLAN GOES OUT TO TENDER
A NEW masterplan is to be drawn up for the future development of OSWESTRY town centre. It will set out how the Shropshire town will evolve over the coming years to meet its ambitions for better transport, connectivity, sustainability and business opportunities.
The plan will build on the work of the Future Oswestry Group, a partnership between Oswestry Town Council, Shropshire Council and Oswestry Business Improvement District (BID). The group has published a tender, inviting specialist companies to bid to produce the plan.It will provide a framework for sustainable development and will support the town’s High Street Heritage Action Zone programme. It will also set out goals for repurposing empty buildings and the treatment of public spaces, as well as advising on transport, traffic and car parking management.
The town’s mayor, Cllr John Price, said: “While the work of the Future Oswestry Group is not always visible, the working relationship between the three parties is beginning to see some tangible results. At the moment it is difficult to look forward, but it is very important that we do so. Having a well described vision, ideas for development and a plan is essential in order to attract funding.”
Clerks & Councils Direct, May 2020
RECENTLY the Vale of Glamorgan Council (VoG) was granted a large sum of money as economic stimulus funding to inject into local towns and communities to promote high streets, and our town council was asked to look at projects it wished to pursue with a view to tapping into the funding.
One project the council was very keen to progress was refurbishment of the Old Hall, which is located on the High Street but is in the ownership of the local authority (VoG). The idea was that the town council would carry out the work and then pass back responsibility for upkeep to VoG, in joint enterprise.
However, following discussions, VoG decided that it would pursue the project itself, as it agreed that the building was in a very poor state of repair and a visual eyesore. The money for the project would come from the same economic stimulus funding pot.
The project has now been costed and VoG has found that it is falling short by approximately £4,000, and it has asked the town council to contribute the £4,000 to enable the project to be completed.
Some councillors have suggested that it would be illegal for us to contribute money to the local authority because a) the town council would be drawing down a precept and then giving money back to the local authority to improve a building that was in its ownership and b) that having set the precept, the town council cannot take money from its reserves to support this project.
I was of the opinion that as long as the town council agreed to take money from reserves for a community project that would not be a problem. However, I was not completely sure about it giving money to a local authority for the refurbishment of its own building (which is used for community purposes and is self-funding through hire to local groups).
I would be very grateful if you could advise on this matter or point me in the right direction on the necessary legislation.
Ceri John, Clerk, COWBRIDGE (Ancient Borough) with Llanblethian Town Council, Vale of Glamorgan
Editor’s note: In this case the council managed to resolve the problem by transferring some of the grant money for another project to the Old Hall, which has enabled the whole of the project to go ahead. However, it would still be interested for future reference to know whether if it is able to fund a project with the local authority as a joint enterprise: have any other councils had experience of this, or of the other situations described here?
Clerks & Councils Direct, May 2020
TREORCHY TRIUMPHS BY SHOPPING LOCAL
TREORCHY in Rhondda Cynon Taf won the High Street of the Year Award for 2019, beating many bigger rivals in the nationwide competition. The town is home to just 6,000 people, but it impressed the judges in the Great British High Street competition with its many community initiatives, which have helped to breath life into a struggling local economy. The Welsh valleys town has its own website, an arts festival and a “hop, shop and save” scheme that trades advertising space on local buses for in-store discounts. Membership of the Treorchy Chamber of Trade has grown from 30 to 120 in recent years, and 80 per cent of the shops on the high street are independent. Adrian Emmett, who runs The Lion pub, said: “In our area there is not much industry and times are tough, but in the face of adversity we have come up with an entrepreneurial model. There are areas that have received a lot more funding than us – this is about self-help. If the community didn’t shop local, we wouldn’t be here.” The awards recognise communities leading the way in reinventing their local high streets, and are a partnership with payments firm Visa, which funds the £15,000 top prize. Other champion award winners were Belper, Newtownards and Prestwick. Kelso in Scotland was named Rising Star of the Year, with Yarm, Caernarfon and Newry also winning regional categories. The awards are set against a backdrop of decline in traditional high streets as shopping habits continue to change. Last year was one of the most challenging on record, with over 140,000 jobs lost due to retail failures and store closures.
Clerks & Councils Direct, March 2020