High Street Foundation 08 October Meeting

Thank you to everyone who attended the latest meeting of the High Street Foundation. We had a great turn out with attandance from the following businesses to name a few:

Barclays Bank, Blue Orchid, Boots, Chantilly, Daily Rochdale, Funky Monkey Creations, Heywood Business Group, Sandifords, Rochdale Online, Molesworth Bright Clegg Solicitors, Number Ten Gallery, The Flower & The Glory, Hopwood Hall College, Style Magazine, Sagar Insurances, Mango & Pacific Nightclubs, Rochdale Town Centre Management Company, Rochdale Council and the Rochdale Development Agency.

You can download a copy of the presentations here

In the absense of Paul Clark, who was attending a meeting with investors regarding the £30m refurbishment of Warwick Mill in Middleton, Vice Chair Greg Couzens controlled the meeting.

Mark Widdup, Executive Director for Economy & Environment at Rochdale Council gave an update on progress made since the last meeting. Lots has been happening including:

• The establishmet of Town Teams within Heywood & Middleton
• Reopening of Drake Street
• Improvements to Wet Rake Gardens
• 16 x properties improved along Drake Street
• Public Realm improvements including 4 x new interpretaion boards and finger posts installed within the town centre
• Restoration works to Bulls Brow
• Environmental improvement works to Stationers Entry
• The launch of Incredible Edibles Rochdale
• Feel Good Festival - attended by over 10,000 people
• New businesses opening in the town and interest from developers now being shown
• New transport interchange opening on 27 October
• M&S Click & Collect scheme will be operational by 01 November
• Rochdale Town Centre International Design Competition being judged
• Small Business Saturday - boroughwide campaign taking place on 07 December
• Metrolink line to Rochdale Town Centre operational Spring 2014

Debbie Hernon, Rochdale Town Centre Manager showed a video of the Rochdale Feel Good Festival 2013 which can be viewed exclusively here:

(For best quality please do not view in full screen mode)

Christmas events in the town will include:

Saturday 16 November - Christmas Lights Switch On Event
Sunday 01 December - Reindeer Parade
Saturday 21, Sunday 22 & Monday 23 December - Ice Rink & Christmas Markets

The Ice Rink will be FREE for skaters on production of a reciept for a minimum of £5 spent within the town centre.

John Hudson, Chief Executive of the Rochdale Development Agency then gave a presentation on the Rochdale Town Centre Medium Term Strategy which includes:

• Future Public Realm Improvements
• Re-opening of the River Roch
• Town Centre Highways Movement
• Investment in the Exchange and Wheatsheaf Shopping Centres
• Town Centre East - mixed retail & leisure development

Brian Sutcliffe AKA "Uncle Albert Potato Man" then presented his ideas on creating a temporary mobile food court on the site of the former Bus Station and Black box once this is demolished. Images were shown of the outdoor foodcourt at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester which is something that could be aspired to achieve and recieved a lot of support.

The evening wrapped up with the OPEN FORUM and we heard from Carol Stirzaker of The Flower & The Glory in Littleborough who has worked with a group of students from Hopwood Hall College on the Textile Live Project and was thrilled with the wall designs the students produced for her shop.

Emma Clark - the voice of the London Underground - promoted her business Voice Takeway and audio marketing campaigns that could benefit local businesses. For more information visit: www.voicetakeaway.com

Jan Melia from Blue Orchid promoted the free business support (funded by Rochdale Council) that is available to existing businesses including training courses in Social Media, E-Commerce, Finance and Selling Skills. For more information visit the website: www.theblueorchid.co.uk

Margaret Smith - Rochdale Town Centre Chaplain introduced herself and her role to support businesses and their staff within Rochdale town centre.

Finally, David Hexham from Sagar Insurances offerred to give any member of the High Street Foundation 10% off thier next insurance quote: www.sagarinsurances.co.uk

The meeting ended with a message from Greg who urged businesses not to be alone and work together in order to survive and thrive.

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 27 November, 6pm - 7.30pm at Number One Riverside. All town centre traders welcome!

Reform of Business Rates - Please Sign this Petition

Following the launch of The Grimsey Review (An Alternative Future for the High Street) a petition has been started to force Government to look into Business Rates immediately.

 

It is clear that businesses feel this tax is out of touch with property values and that is why your support is required to get business rates debated in parliament before the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement.

This is a very ambitious target but extremely urgent if we are to buy time for some 20,000 small retailers who are on the brink of failure. Although the crippling rates cost is not the only cause of failure some would argue it is the main reason today. Most agree that there is a need for a root and branch review of the business rates tax - but in reality that will take time.

The most important thing is to force a debate in Westminster and this can be achieved if we can get one hundred thousand signatures on a petition that we have registered with Downing Street. Once we achieve that we will gain the support of backbench MPs from all parties who are under pressure from the businesses in their constituencies.

We need your help to encourage businesses in the borough to sign the petition.

This can be done by logging on to the following link:

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/54748

You will also be aware from both regional and national press about the adverse effects the postponement of the revaluations will have upon Rochdale citing that shop rentals have fallen by approximately 40% in the last 5 years and this now needs to be reflected in rateable values.

The petition reflects some of the recommendations from The Grimsey review and has been registered by me. It reads as follows:

Reform of Business Rates

Responsible department: Department for Communities and Local Government

The British high street is a world renowned institution. We can’t just sit back and watch it wither away. This means ministers have to make business rates a fairer tax that doesn’t disproportionately burden smaller businesses and retail. Property values must be realigned and the business rates system needs reforming. At the moment it’s not fit for purpose.

The Grimsey Review are, therefore, calling on the government to:-

1) Reintroduce immediately the 2015 business rates revaluation to realign property values and freeze business rates from 2014. 

2)Once revaluations have taken place any future increases should be an annualised CPI rate rather  than a one-month snapshot.

3)From 2017 revaluations must be conducted annually.

4)Undertake a root and branch review to establish a flexible system that will reflect changes in economic conditions as they occur.

We all need to work together, stand up for fairness and get the 2015 revaluation reinstated.

 

Paul Turner Mitchell

All welcome to attend the next meeting of the High Street Foundation

ROCHDALE BOROUGH HIGH STREET FOUNDATION

Tuesday 08 October, 6.00pm- 7.30pm

 

Number One Riverside, Conference & Training Suite, First Floor

A G E N D A

 

1.	Welcome	Paul Clarke (Chair)
2.	Progress Update Presentation and Q&A	Mark Widdup
3.	Rochdale Town Centre Events Update & discussion	Debbie O’Brien
4.	Rochdale Town Centre Medium Term Strategy Presentation and Q&A	Gary Davies
5.	Open Forum Street Food Vendors Blue Orchid – Post Start Business Support Voice Takeaway The Flower & The Glory – Littleborough Rochdale Town Centre Chaplaincy Rochdale Business Awards	Brian Sutcliffe Jan Melia Emma Clarke Carol Stirzaker Margaret Smith Carol Hopkins
6.	Time & Date of Next Meeting   Thursday 12 December, 6pm – 7.30pm, N1R