To receive a verbal presentation from Patricia Saunders, Letchworth BID Manager.
Decision:
Mrs Patricia Saunders, Letchworth BID Manager, thanked the Chairman for the opportunity to address the Committee and gave a verbal presentation regarding the issues and activities in Letchworth Town Centre.
The Chairman thanked Ms Saunders for her presentation and for the good wok that the BID undertook in Letchworth Town Centre.
Minutes:
Mrs Patricia Saunders, Letchworth BID Manager, thanked the Chairman for the opportunity to address the Committee and gave a verbal presentation regarding the issues and activities in Letchworth Town Centre.
Mrs Saunders informed Members that she was the new BID Manager for Letchworth and had been in post for two months. Prior to this she had been the events co-ordinator for 18 months.
She was born in Hitchin and grew up in Letchworth, where she continued to live and her background was in communications, public relations and marketing.
The BID had recruited Nick Boris Toby as the new events co-ordinator, who had a wealth of experience in marketing and events on a national scale.
The BID was in the final year of is first term and had generated £600,000 in BID levy in these four years as well as £140,000 in additional funding and in kind benefits including grants from NHDC and £120,000 in direct funding by Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation. This funding had been used to undertake the projects and activities identified by the BID business plan.
The original BID levy had been set at 1.5 percent of rateable value and bills for the coming year would be sent out shortly and they would include an insert explaining how the money had been spent in 2017/18 and the events and activities that had been funded.
BID events in the Town Centre had generated some £50,000 of income and these events included the Food and Drink Festival, Beer and World Food Festival and the Christmas Gala and Light Switch on.
The BID had provided a business support programme that included a mix of accredited and expert training programmes including food hygiene and social media courses.
80 businesses had been surveyed regarding a wide range of matters including parking, the results of which were shared with NHDC.
The Love Letchworth web site had been improved and updated and work was being undertaken on a more use friendly business directory, which would be launched shortly.
The BID had also contributed financially to events held in the Garden Square Shopping Centre.
The Bid had also:
· Launched a new business awards programme;
· Issued regular communication by email updates, newsletters and invitations to Letchworth Business Networking meetings;
· Developed a tourist town centre map;
· Continued to sponsor the Disabled Go website;
· Provided “in kind” support to other events taking place in Letchworth Town Centre including the Letchworth Festival, Black History Day and the Chilli Festival;
· Supported new shop openings;
· Highlighted special events and activities taking place via the Love Letchworth social media platform.
Key events planned for the next year included:
· Food and Drinks Festival
To be held on the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May including:
§ events, in collaboration with North Herts College, designed to showcase student skills;
§ kitchen demonstrations.
· Vintage Festival
To be held at the end of July including:
§ everything from 1920s to 1950s;
§ entertainment;
§ traditional fun fair;
§ fashion shows;
§ vintage trail;
§ classic cars;
§ themed shop windows;
§ retro make up and hair lessons.
· Beer and World Food Festival
To be held at the end of September.
· Christmas Light Switch On
To be held at the end of November
§ Hoping to gain permission to use the top of the multi-storey car park to launch fireworks;
· Easter Trail
· Run around the Garden
· Themed as a healthy living day;
· Inviting lots of sports groups to be involved and showcase their groups.
· Live Wimbledon Coverage
Aimed to take place during the second week of July.
§ Hoping to provide a large screen to view Wimbledon in different areas around the Town;
§ Will provide fake grass, deckchairs etc;
· Encourage local business to provide refreshments such as strawberries and cream.
Sponsorship would be sought from lager businesses in the Town for these events.
Other regular activities included
· Farmers Market on the third Saturday monthly;
· Vintage Arts and Crafts Market will be re-launched on the first Saturday in April;
· Letchworth Business Awards will be rebranded to include office-based businesses.
Developing the BID Offer
· A new programme of courses and workshops available to businesses;
· A renewal survey had been circulated to all businesses that asked for feedback on the last business plan, ideas for the new business plan and areas of priority;
· A BID launch event would take place on 14 Mach 2018 to which all businesses had been invited;
· Workshops for businesses regarding the BID offer would be available on 10/11 April 2018;
· Work was being undertaken with the re-ballot consultant, who would be responsible for liaising with the Council regarding the re-ballot;
· Ballot papers were due to be sent out in November 2018.
If businesses voted not to continue with the BID, then the BID operation would cease as at 31 Mach 2019 and all projects, activities and support to businesses organised by the BID would stop. The area would lose its collective business voice along with the opportunity to shape the future of Letchworth Town Centre.
The BID staff would be doing their utmost to ensure that the BID was successful in developing a new Business Plan to meet the needs and requirements of local businesses and that the BID then was given the opportunity to continue for a further five years.
The Annual General Meeting was due to take place in June
Members commented that the Town had come alive in the last few years with activities almost every weekend.
They noted that the footfall in the Town Centre had increased, but this did not appear to translate into sales in the shops and queried whether this would have an effect on the re-ballot.
Mrs Saunders consumed that footfall had increased and was particularly high during the larger events. The aim of the large events was to showcase the Town and hope that it inspired people to return at a later date to do some shopping.
Feedback from shops regarding trade levels during an event was mixed with some reporting no increase and others reporting a marked increase in trade.
She believed that businesses were keen to keep the events going in the Town. It was important to get the feedback from the survey that had been sent out, so that the Business Plan could reflect the needs of the businesses. They would also be considering what effect they could have on the environments within the Town.
Members queried whether the closure of Argos would have an impact on the own Centre.
Mrs Saunders advised that the Argos location was managed by the Garden Square Shopping Centre, it was in everybody’s best interest to have the shop let again, but this was out of the BIDs hands.
Members commented that the nature of shopping had changed and that on-line shopping had changed the nature of Town Centres.
Mrs Saunders advised that the Town Centre was becoming more leisure focussed, which resulted in an increased night-life. It was important to capitalise and embrace this change, that was affecting all town centres.
Letchworth had a number of independent shops and this was where the Town Centre needed to focus, as the big chains were generally moving to out of town sites.
The BID supported and lobbied for new business in the area but had no direct say on which businesses leased shops in the Town Centre. The BID would, in the future work much more closely with the Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation lettings team, NHDC, Garden Square Shopping Centre and letting agents.
The BID was also moving location to 76 Eastcheap, Letchworth Garden City.
The Chairman thanked Ms Saunders for her presentation and for the good wok that the BID undertook in Letchworth Town Centre.