Agenda item

The Head of Town Centre Management and Business Support gave an update on progress across the main Partnership themes of Town Centre Management and Business Support in Quarter 2 2013/14.

In Quarter 2 2013/14, the Town Centre Management and Business Support Service had worked to deliver a number of events in town centres including a number of High Street Garden activities in Bromley Town Centre, the family entertainment day, ‘Are you Bromley’s Future?’ and the unveiling of the new Beckenham Town Signs on 6^th July 2013.  A new ‘pop up market’ in Penge had been launched on 27^th July 2013, with two further markets held in August and September 2013. 

Town Centre Managers continued to engage landlords and agents for vacant units across the Borough to encourage the use of shop window vinyls and pop-up shops.  The Town Centre Manager for Beckenham had also been working with the new Beckenham Town Centre Team to develop draft terms of Reference and a business plan in advance of its first formal meeting on 26^th September 2013.  Work continued with the Local Parades Initiative and applications had been received from shopping parades across the Borough.

The Local Authority continued to maintain direct contact with the Orpington 1^st BID Company through the attendance of non-voting members, Councillor William Huntington-Thresher and Martin Pinnell.  A temporary manager had been employed by the Orpington 1^st BID company in July 2013 to start delivering a range of projects and to oversee the development of internal management and finance systems.  Interviews for the post of permanent BID Manager had taken place in late August 2013 and, subject to contact, it was hoped that the preferred candidate would be in post by early October 2013. 

The Bromley North Village improvement works commenced in late July 2013 and were expected to run until November 2014, with a one month break in December 2013 to support trade during the Christmas period.  The Town Centre Manager for Bromley had been working closely with the Bromley North Village project team to help minimise disruption during the works and provide information to business owners and members of the public around the scheme.  As part of this a public event and a business event had taken place in July 2013.  A reduction in business rates had also been secured for businesses in the most affected streets. 

Future activities for the Town Centre Management and Business Support Service included initial consultation and feasibility work for possible BID proposals in both Bromley and Beckenham Town Centres which would be reported to Members during Autumn 2013, and the development of a strategy to implement further BIDs across the Borough.  Work would also be undertaken to engage more with local businesses and town centre stakeholders, including a focus on developing Town Teams or similar partnership bodies in larger towns across the Borough.  A number of events were planned across the Borough during the quarter, including markets in Beckenham and Penge as well as Christmas light switch on events and celebrations in each of the managed town centres during November and December.  Other activities would include work to continue to guide and promote the Bromley Business GrowthCLUB programme and other business support events, and maintaining regular business communications channels and publications including the business e-bulletin.

The Head of Town Centre Management and Business Support advised members of the Partnership that a recent consultation had been published by the Department for Communities and Local Government around proposals to introduce permitted development rights for change of use from retail to residential, which would allow retail units to be converted to homes without the need for separate planning permissions.  This was following a similar scheme introduced in May 2013 to support change of use from office to residential for a limited three year period.  The consultation would close on 15^th October 2013 and members of the Partnership were invited to contribute where appropriate.

In considering the proposals, the Chairman noted that the proposed scheme might be utilised to reduce the length of overlong high streets, however there was a danger that the proposals might damage smaller shopping parades. 

Mark Henderson, MSE UK was concerned at the loss of industrial space in the Borough, particularly for larger businesses, and highlighted a security issue experienced by commercial premises in Worsley Bridge Road which might be resolved with the installation of CCTV.  The Head of Town Centre Management and Business Support noted that the development of a Business Improvement District or other form of cross-working between businesses might resolve the issue and would speak with Mark Henderson following the meeting.

The Chairman advised the Partnership that Windsor had the Windsor Town Card which offered a range of retail and service discounts to encourage residents to use their town centres.  The Head of Town Centre Management and Business Support confirmed that a similar scheme was being re-launched by the Orpington 1^st BID company.  He promised to study a similar scheme for Bromley.

The Chairman also noted that a Town Centre Parking Working Group had recently been formed by Members and that it would consider a range of town centre parking issues.

RESOLVED that:

1)  Recent work around Town Centre Management and Business Support in the 2^nd Quarter of 2013/14 be noted; and

2)  The plans for Town Centre Management and Business Support activity for the 3^rd Quarter of 2013/14 be noted.