Re: Civic High Streets Re: BIDs and Town Teams

[ProfBri...@aol.com]

One of the problems about developing the BID strategy is that many high streets are dominated by national retailers and their managers can't participate in the fullest sense- either because they may be looking over their shoulder for the future of that branch or because national HQ won't allow them. There are not really enough local shops to take a lead.

 

The answer should be the property companies who, after all, actually own the shops and will have a long-term view on what should happen. Unfortunately when BIDs were set up the property companies were excluded so they have been rather overlooked. However we do have to realise that retail is changing and tinkering around the edges is not going to work. Without a stock of locally-owned niche shops either selling quality goods or completely 

innovative products the future will be bleak. Amazon  are working on an app where you point it at a product and the app will tell you where you can get at the cheapest price.

 

Having said all that the town centres are one of the only hopes for creating some kind of community cohesion and we all have to work on what will keep the community coming in.

 

Brian Wright

Stratford-upon-Avon Society

 

In a message dated 12/01/2012 15:26:29 GMT Standard Time, howard...@hotmail.co.uk writes:

Alan
I sense your problem, and I don't think it is an easy answer. I am not
in a big city so do not understand the dynamics.

We have long been urging the local council, to adopt pro-active
planning and marketing measures to promote our vibrant High Street,
Visual appeal is vital, so there are many practical recommendations
for improving the High Street's appearance and cleanliness. Urgent
action is needed to tidy up empty shops right the way across the
country.

Any solutions that other groups have got we would welcome

Howard

p.s If you don't use it - don't complain when you lose it!

On Dec 19 2011, 3:52 pm, Alan Morris <a...@morrises.fastmail.fm>
wrote:
> Promoting Business Improvement Districts (BIDS) as the basis for a
> 'Town Team' form recommendations 1 and 2 of the Portas review.  It is
> good to promote groups that include all stakeholders, but the report
> does not discuss how to develop a BID from a grouping of retailers
> into a balanced partnership.  It might work in a small community where
> everyone knows each other and the local retailers predominate, but in
> larger places will the common interest be strong enough ?  If not, a
> BID will stay a separate entity from the community partnership.
>
> Alan
>
> Alan Morris
> Bristol Civic Society