VIDEO Cheltenham BID acts on retailers concerns in town centre
Summary
As Cheltenham businesses have their say on ways to improve the town centre , Punchline-Gloucester.com went on a walkabout to find out more about the issues. Mark Owen, editor of Punchline-Gloucester.com, met up with Francesca Inman, CEO of Cheltenham BID , on the Promenade. Francesca said: “We’ve been working with both local authorities and both authorities recognise that action needs to be taken on the public realm.
Details
The purpose of this survey is to get as many people as possible to fill it out, so that we can make sure we haven’t forgotten anything. “People want to see action, but we can only take action when we know what the common denominator themes are.” She continued: “Public realm is really important.
Cheltenham is an absolutely beautiful place and we want to make sure it retains that beauty and it doesn’t get lost.” Andy Dice Davies, founder and director, of Cheltenham Paint Festival, was commissioned to do artwork on the former Cavendish House.
Francesca added: “It doesn’t resolve its problems, but it makes it look temporarily better.” The BID recently introduced a cleaning initiative in partnership with Gloucester-based EcoClean Environmental Ltd providing a rapid response service for graffiti removal and environmental contamination, including urine, faeces and vomit (PPV).
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Yesterday, it dealt with a request from Monsoon on the High Street, where there was human urine and rubbish in the doorway from the night before. While the perception of Cheltenham might be that it has a high number of vacant shops, the reality is that it stands at just 7% – compared to a national average of 14%. Within the BID area, there are nearly 160 independent businesses, something the BID is very proud of.
But many independents are struggling with rising costs and reduced footfall. Nadia, who runs The Prom Coffee coffee stand , said: “It makes me sad to see them struggling. “On Friday I had the assistant manager from one of the shops saying that she doesn’t know what to say to her staff to make them more positive towards their work because it’s so quiet.
“Customers complain about how expensive parking is. Maybe we should offer a 20-minute parking zone, where they can just go and buy something quickly and go back to their car. For two hours, it’s nearly £3.
They can buy a coffee with that instead and support local businesses.” Caroline Stevens of The Ultimate Balloon & Party Shop on Regent Street , which has been trading for 30 years, saw business rates rise by £400 a month in April this year. She said: “The last year’s probably been the toughest we’ve had in 30 years. The business rates gowing up has made a massive difference to us.
Report source: Punchline Gloucester