CIVIC BRIEFING - Forum Focusforumfocus.co.uk/20160421 Civic Briefing and Retail... ·...
Transcript of CIVIC BRIEFING - Forum Focusforumfocus.co.uk/20160421 Civic Briefing and Retail... ·...
THE TOWN TEAM
CIVIC BRIEFING
Community Groups that Sustain and
Promote the Town and What they Do
Civic Society
Blandford +
Town Team
Town Museum
DT11 ForumCommunity Partnership
Blandford Business Group
Heritage Group
Community
Clean Up Blandford Campaign
Regeneration Group
Town
Accountable Councils
Blandford Forum Town Council
North Dorset District Council
Dorset County Council
Town Team: Aim
Support the development and enhancement of a vibrant
town centre, including its unique Georgian heritage,
community spirit, profitable and attractive businesses
and tourist attractions - in and around the Town, the
River Stour and the wonderful local countryside - for the
benefit of those who live, shop, work, have local businesses and visit Blandford.
Town Team: Objectives• Develop an Action Plan for the Town Centre that builds on existing strengths and
is endorsed by the local community and local government;
• Develop project and funding plans to secure funding for agreed and endorsed
proposals;
• Consult with Accountable Councils to ensure consent is obtained before any
actions are carried out;
• Monitor the activities of the Accountable Councils in relation to the progress of
endorsed Town Team projects, and hold to account where appropriate;
• Where agreed, support Accountable Councils and Community Groups initiatives
and policies;
• Collaborate with Accountable Councils, other local community groups and
working groups where there are areas of mutual interest and benefit, and ensure
there is no duplication of effort or funding;
• Communicate regularly with stakeholders and the wider community about
progress;
• Ensure open debate, so that local people can input their views and ideas and get
involved, and be open to new ideas and proposals;
• Follow best practice for local and national Town Team initiatives;
• The Town Team may as an entity not run specific Projects, these may be
delegated to designated Town Team working groups.
THE TOWN TEAM/ NDDC BLANDFORD RETAIL SURVEY
Oct 2015 – JAN 2016
CIVIC BRIEFING ON
“WHAT WAS SAID”
Thanks
• Susan Sullivan – NDDC• Hugh de longe – NDDC
• Retailers who completed the survey
Interview Team
• Meg Denning
• Ros Nelmes
• Julie Wigg
• Kat Clark
• Tony Hall
• Adrian Ford
• Sharon Johns
• Mike Jones
• Mark Bellman
• Nic Nicol
What informed our survey
Local surveys that informed our survey
• 2014-15 Town Survey
• 2015 Gillingham High Street Business survey – Town Team/ NDDC
National reports 2014
• (Mary) Portas Report
• Telegraph Manifesto for Our Shops
• Grimsey Review
• The Deloitte Consumer Review – Reinventing the role of the high street
• Future High Street Forum findings
Methodology
• Draft survey run past two long established retailers in the town and changes made as a result
• Interviews
– carried out by team of 10 volunteers
– or left with retailers who filled in, interviewers returned and asked any questions
– Anonymity essential, detailed responses more important
• Collation completed by NDDC Susan Sullivan
• Analysis completed by David Rose
Assumptions
• The High Steet is defined as the town centre – in the case of Blandford comprising: East St, West St, Salisbury Road to opposite Bedlam Yard, Whitelciff Mill St to opposite Ryan Court, the Plocks and Tabernacle and all the passages associated with these streets with retail locations.
• For the type of outlet: the term “Defined use” is the activity where the majority of the spend is.
Exclusions. The survey did not cover – but they were raised:
• Business rates/ planning laws – a National and Country government issue
• Parking charges – as we would all wish free parking, this is an NDDC issue.
Changes in the high street
Total store numbers will fall by 22%, from 281,930 in 2013 to 220,000 in 2018. Telegraph Manifesto for Our Shops -What Works Well 23/11/13
• 1 in 5 shops vacant – 2012
• 1 in 6 shops vacant – 2013
Changes in the high street
•Online retail grown from 5% of total shopping bill in 2006 to 15% in 2013 and expected to be 25% in 2020. Telegraph Manifesto for Our Shops - What Works Well 23/11/13•The share of online retail sales will rise from 12.7% (2012) to 21.5% by 2018 or the end of the decade. A guide to retailing in 2018 by the Centre for Retail Research
•In spite of the Portas Pilots, the High Street will continue to suffer: around 41% of town centres will lose 27,638 stores in the next five years. (2014)•Declining retail outlets in the UK
•Clothing•Travel Agents
•Increasing retail outlets in the UK•Coffee•Charity •E-cigarette•Bookmakers•Discount stores
•Guardian 16 Mar 2015 reporting on 2014
2015 Blandford survey• 83% of surveys had free text comments about the poor retail mix•Want more
•Clothing•Want less
•Cafes•Charity•Takeaways•Estate Agents
Who took part
• 66 of approximately 180 retail outlets
70%
14%
14%
2%
Of those who took part the split was:
Shop
Financial andProffesional uses
Food and Drink
Non-residentialinstitution
52
6
6
2
10%
9%
81%
Type of Outlet
National Chain Regional Chain Local Independent
12
59%
38%
3%
Ownership?
Owners alsomanage
Manageremployed
Not answered
6%
25%
26%
43%
Length of time trading in the town centre
Less than a year 1 to 7 Years 7 to 15 Years 15 + Years
4
10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Would you consider opening later? Would it be worth openingSundays?
Are you open during town events?
Is it worth opening more than currently
Yes No Not Answered
Current Opening timesMonday - Friday Earliest - 04.30 Latest – 23.59Saturday Earliest - 08.00 Latest – 23.59Sunday Earliest - 09.00 Latest – 23.59
What does the following mean to you and your business?
3
Experience
• Knowledgeable, helpful friendly and understanding staff who can offer a personal and trusted service to our customer’s
Choice
• Wide range of retail businesses in the town.
• Wide range of products in stock or services provided
• ‘Something different’ from the big chains, adapt items to suit
• More than one provider
Convenience
• Easy, safe and quick to get to on foot and by car
• Being able to satisfy our local customer’s needs
• Opening times to help our customers
• Our customers are most likely to use us
• In the town centre
• In housing areas
Local
• Local customer catchment
– Walking distance
– Blandford & surrounding villages - DT11 / 6 mile radius (to counter Wimborne/ Sturminster)
– 15 mile radius
– Do not have to travel too far
• Locally owned family business
• Knowing our customers
• Producers/suppliers within DT11
• Serving the community
What are the main issues facing the Town Centre and holding it back?
5
Retail30%
Environment19%
Place to live/visit19%
Transport Links14%
Leisure10%
E-connectivity8%
14
Parking23%
Market14%
Internet15%
Signage15%
Environment12%
Location9%
Good Service9%
Public Transport3%
The top three things that impact on footfall
• Reliability – consistency of performance and dependability
• Responsiveness – willingness of employees to provide the
service; timeliness
• Competence – possession of the required skills and
knowledge to perform the service
• Access – approachability and ease of contact
• Courtesy – politeness, respect and consideration of contact
personnel
• Communication – informing customers in language that they
understand
• Credibility – trustworthiness, honesty, having the customer’s
best interest at heart
• Security – freedom from danger, risk and doubt
• Understanding the customer – tailoring to specific needs
• Tangibles – physical evidence of the service
Determinants of service quality
How would you rate the Town Centre?
25%
50%
75%
6
14
27%
52%
21%
Is the market of any consequence to your footfall?
Yes No Not Answered
18
26%
18%
27%
29%
Pop-up shops: benefit, threat or not an issue?
Benefit Not an Issue Threat Not Answered
15
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Fri/Sat after6pm
All day Sat Sat after 1pm All day sun For events Reversetraffic flow
What would be the impact on retail of closing the market square to traffic:
Positive Impact Minimal Impact Negative Impact Not Answered
Heritage
16
THE WEEK – 30 NOV 13 - A Georgian market town“the most exquisite example of
small-town Georgian architecture”
THE GUARDIAN – SEP 13 -blogs
This is a little Bath in brick.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Is there anyimpact on your
business workingin a building in a
conservationarea?
Is there anyimpacts on your
business withGrade listedrestrictions?
How could theheritage of the ofthe town centre
be used toimprove your
footfall?
Would a"Georgian"
restricted colourpallet for shop
fronts impact onyour footfall?
Significant
None
Not Answered
20/21
21
4 4
32
4743
9 10 12
Do you offer homedelivery?
Do you offer a clickand collection
service?
Could you envisageoffering a click and
collect service?
Home Delivery / Collection
Yes No N/a
48
16
35
16
45
25
2 5 6
Do you have awebsite?
Do you offer apurchase service
over your website?
Do you have asocial media page?
Social media and e-sales
Yes No Not Answered
24
The top three things the Councils should do
Make parking more customer friendly
21%
Maintain pavements and roads14%
Reduce buisness rates 7%
Improve town signage
7%
Advertise the town
6%Meet with local businesses5%
Improve the traffic flow5%
Deal with landlords who do no maintain their property or keep
it empty5%
Improve street cleaning4%
Manage drug users4%
Regulate disabled parking3%
Stop the market 2%
Improve the rubbish collection frequency
2%
Reduce listed buildings
regulations2%
Maintain building frontages2%
Implement zebra crossings2%
Put promotional signs on bypass1% Maintain the CCTV
1%
Improve the public transport1%
Encourage new businesses
1%
Regulate lorries parking in the High street
1%
Ensure the toilets are
open1%
Promote events1%
24
Empty Shops Campaign
‘Blandford wants your business’
Availability
• The survey briefing will be put on Form focus web-site and made available to any organisation who requests it
• The processed data will be made available to the Accountable Councils (DCC, NDDC, Blandford Town Council) representatives and the Blandford Business Group
Summary – key points
• Something for everyone to takeaway and formulate their priorities/ policies to promote our High Street
• The retailers (Blandford Business Group) – need to work collectively to give the public what they need and want
– the public need a reason to purchase a product or service in the local High St – and retailers providing a “quality service” in a good environment is key
• NDDC and the Town Council – times are difficult and things are happening but some things are taking too long– we need the market issue sorted
– resolution of poor environmental service delivery and enforcement of breaches quickly and publically
• Positively promoting the town and our High Street – we all have a role