To receive a verbal presentation from the Hitchin BID Manager.
Decision:
A verbal presentation was received from the Hitchin BID Manager, Tom Hardy.
Minutes:
Audio recording – 5 minutes 32 seconds
Tom Hardy, Hitchin BID Manager, thanked the Chair for the opportunity to address the Committee and gave a verbal presentation regarding the issues and activities in Hitchin Town Centre and drew attention to the following:
· Floral displays had been installed. These consisted of 25 wooden planters to replace social distancing barriers, which are currently centrally located but there were plans to move these in future.
· 30 winter planters around Town Centre.
· Christmas lights were being put up on October 27 2021 and testing will begin, but will not be lit until after Remembrance Day. New lights have been purchased for 2021 and further developments in Christmas lights are being looked at for 2022.
· Two new Rangers have joined the team part-time around the Town Centre.
· Rangers reports are given to Hitchin BID Manager on a Monday morning, which can be shared with Councillors.
· The BID is currently halfway through it’s 5 year term and a midway review questionnaire has been produced to help to understand if the BID is working for its levy paying members. The questionnaire and the responses can be shared with Councillors if they wish.
· Spent time looking at the Welcome Back Fund with the Economic Development Officer and the Chair of Hitchin Area Committee.
· Focus more on Tourism Strategy for Hitchin. Currently there is a good understanding and practice of marketing events within the town, but less good at marketing the town on a wider basis. This would be the focus of a part-time employee looked at Hitchin as a tourist destination.
· It was being looked into whether funding was available to support this tourism development work and this could lead to a part time position for a new Events and Marketing Co-Ordinator.
· Analysis was taking place to look at which events are working, which are a bit tired and looking at new events which could take place in the Town.
· There was a meeting on 3 November 2021 at Sun Hotel, Hitchin to discuss possibilities for the Queens Platinum Jubilee long weekend.
· Christmas Tree light switch on would take place on 20 November 2021 and would be supported by a parade to be led by the 40-piece Herts Showband.
· Christmas Market and Santa’s Grotto will be in place at the beginning of December in the Market Square, with 16 chalet stalls.
· In last 18 months, there have been 46 new businesses open, which brought vacancy rate to 3%.
· The Hawkins unit had been split into 4 units and 3 of these has been signed up with new tenants.
· Vacant units are being taken up quickly by new tenants and vacant units in town are usually due to the landlord not having received the keys back from previous tenants.
· Need to look further into developing an Industrial Area BID, which could benefit all the industrial sites, the town and population.
· Finger Signs need to be updated and corrected in the town centre.
· Churchgate lease is up for sale and several businesses on the site have been asking what the update and progression on this is.
In response to the presentation given by the Hitchin BID Manager, Councillor Ian Albert advised:
· Council was looking at making a bid for the lease at Churchgate and that the process was underway to develop a sound and financially viable business case for this.
· Consultation with Cabinet, and potentially Full Council, may be required for this.
· The deadline in 2 or 3 weeks will be met.
In response to the presentation given by the Hitchin BID Manager, Councillor Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg advised:
· Discussions had taken place with the NHDC Managing Director regarding a North Herts wide Tourism Strategy and the plans being developed by Hitchin BID could work alongside this.
· The Herts Growth Board, on which the Councillor was a political lead, was looking at regeneration of High Streets across the County and requested that the Hitchin BID Manager fed back their experience in Hitchin to contribute to this project and improve situation in the town, and across other towns in the district.
The following Members asked questions regarding the presentation given by Hitchin BID Manager:
· Councillor Richard Thake
· Councillor Paul Clark
· Councillor Simon Harwood
· Councillor Keith Hoskins
In response to questions, the Hitchin BID Manager advised:
· Hitchin BID takes a key operational role when filming takes place in the town and a proportion of the fee to be taken by the BID had been agreed with Commercial Team.
· District Council and BID would work together to promote the town as a filming location.
· There was a need when booking film crews to the town that this did not have a negative impact on business, as happened with Letchworth during previous filming.
· 18 businesses shut down in Hitchin over the last 18 months.
· Town Rangers work on a Friday and Saturday night from 10pm to 3am and so would not be ideal for looking at or dealing with any parking issues during the day, but do have a route which covers the entire town.
· Industrial Area BID would be a standalone bid, usually centring around marketing, commercial waste, etc.
· Has requested that district council carries out a feasibility study to look at whether the interest was there from businesses to sustain an Industrial BID.
· Repairs had been carried out the hut to be used as the Santa’s Grotto.
In response to questions, Councillor Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg advised:
· Previously votes at Full Council on 7 February 2019 had carried the following motions:
o That Full Council approve the principle of purchasing the leasehold interest for the Churchgate Shopping Centre, subject to further consideration of the economic case for doing so.
o That Full Council agrees that any regeneration of Churchgate and the surrounding area must be a viable investment that maintains a return to the Council.
o That officers are instructed to continue to consider a range of potential solutions in order to allow the flexibility needed to identify possible viable investments, subject to further Council decision in due course on the acceptability of any such solutions.
In response to questions, Councillor Keith Hoskins advised:
· Royston BID was almost entirely funded by the industrial area.
· It may be possible to develop a plan to set up a bus route from industrial sites to the Town Centre, to encourage people into town without having an increase in car traffic.
· University of Hertfordshire have offered to look into a tourism strategy, possibly for the whole county. This would offered an insight from a demographic not usually widely engaged with Council work.