To receive a presentation from the Letchworth BID Manager.
Decision:
Patricia Saunders, thanked the Chairman for the opportunity to address the Committee and updated the Committee regarding the work and activities of the Letchworth BID..
Minutes:
Audio Recording – Start time of Item – 53 minutes
Patricia Saunders, thanked the Chairman for the opportunity to address the Committee and updated the Committee regarding the work and activities of the Letchworth BID as follows:
Update
· Halloween Activities during October half-term with free activities for children - Trick or Treat trail was particularly popular and shops had to buy further supplies of sweets.
· Annual light switch was on Saturday 24th November 2018. Successful event with 1000’s of people in attendance.
· Christmas lights paid for by Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation. All other activities, stage entertainment, parade, fun fair and fireworks were put on by the bid and were a mix of local community groups offering services free of charge and some more professional jazz bands;
· After entertainment ended at 7:30pm, some then went on to eat and drink which would have boosted the town’s economy.
· Thanked Ian Couper, Steve Crowley, the legal team and NHDC for working with the BID and the fireworks company to make the firework display from the top of the car park possible and took into consideration all the safety requirements.
· The Bid had produced a Christmas guide which was available in the Tourist Information Centre and town centre shops. This summarised community activities which were taking place in the town centre area and the free activities available.
BID Re-ballot:
· Businesses were given the opportunity to vote on whether to continue with the BID for another five years. Ballot managed by NHDC and UK engage. Announcement of result was due the next day. It was hoped that BID would continue for 2nd term. Details of plans were found in prospectus with business plan.
· Issue of vermin in town centre raised. Meeting was due to take place that week with Peter Carey, Head of Environmental Health to discuss the matter as part of town strategy meeting;
· As part of BID’s support of the plastic-free Letchworth campaign, chairman Chris Gerrard had met with the environmental company, ACM, and explored the opportunity for this business to supply a reverse vending machine as part of a pilot scheme in Letchworth town centre. The intent of the programme would be to reward environmental behaviours, capture consumers into Letchworth retail and reduce town litter. Machine would take consumer plastic bottles and aluminium cans, crush and bale them. It would then supply a retail voucher for use in the in the town centre. For NHDC, this could reduce volumes of waste already collected from street waste bins and homes. ACM were keen to meet the most appropriate person within the council to discuss machine collections. They would also like to look at the possibility of using a local recycling centre to store the clean plastic with a future hope of recycling in to new bottles. Cost of the machine £11,000. company is willing to provide up to 50% of these costs as it is a pilot scheme. Having recently received information on available section 106 monies, Stephanie blunt for public realm activities; Patricia Saunders would submit a proposal on the initiative in the hope of releasing available funds of £4,200. Would then need to find £1,300 to make it all happen. Good initiative and would encourage consumers to get their retail voucher. Location would need to be somewhere for lorries to gain easy access.
In response to questions from Councillor Marment:
· It was early days so Patricia Saunders advised they would definitely look at the volume of bottles that would fit in the machine so as not to leave lots of bottles lying around nearby. Emptying would need to be done regularly.
In response to questions from Councillor Needham:
· Patricia Saunders did not think it would affect Christmas trade in the town centre. The timing of works in the town centre was unfortunate and some businesses had complained about the effect is would have on their trade. This would be ongoing for 20 months so had they not started when they did, it would never have been started. Safety measures had been implemented and shops were still accessible. Councillor Needham said had they thought about timing of start date, it would only have straddled one Christmas. People were not consulted widely. Jack Filbin might be able to give update but coordinating utility companies depended on when the companies concerned were available. .
In response to questions from Councillor Hone:
· County Hall was very interested about the new plastic machine. Herts based partnership might be interested in getting involved.
In response to questions from Councillor Levett:
· Christmas lights – parking briefing and enforcement team extremely complimentary about road handling, traffic management, people management on the day. No real problems.
· The introduction of a hawk in the town centre every two weeks meant that the pigeons relocated to another area of the town.
· The option for development was sold onto a different company who were doing the development, not Garden Square. There were problems getting the appropriate utilities moved particularly electricity and gas. It had taken 3 years to arrange. They did go through all the appropriate licencing arrangements for doing the work with both NHDC and the Heritage Foundation prior to commencement of the work.