www.people-places.co.uk Turning-around a Town Centre; Worksop s Forward Framework
2 Turning-around a town centre Research Partners The People & Places Partnership has been commissioned by the Local Government Association to develop a Forwad Framework for Worksop town centre on behalf of Bassetlaw District Council and key local stakeholders.
Worksop s Forward Framework 3 Understanding our town centres is about people & place. About the customers and the businesses based there. About the built fabric and sense of community created. Local perceptions & priorities L L ocal people s perceptions about the town centre will be important in understanding how it serves their needs and how this is changing. In our survey of mid-week town centre users in Worksop, we found they valued the familiarity of convenience, accessibility and social interaction above its commercial function. The indication is that it is important to maintain these aspects to ensure that people continue to use and gain maximum benefit from the town centre. Asking town centre users about their future priorities will help identify concerns that can then be checked against the realities of current and probable future performance. In the case of Worksop there are increasing concerns and rising expecations about the need to maintain a diverse variety of shops. There are modest concerns about access and parking. There are also a small but signifant number of calls to reduce anti-social behaviour; an issue of increasing national prominence.
4 Turning-around a town centre The evidence T o try and improve a town centre without propely understanding the issues, is like baking a cake without knowing the ingredients. We always use the same process of bringing together existing local research, surveying local stakeholders and collecting our own suite of key performance indicators. In Worksop we turned to two main studies and undertook a small survey of town centre users. Retail & Leisure A distrct-wide retail and leisure study undertaken in 2016 contains a wealth of data on the importance of Worksop as a local destination for comparison shopping as well as its vulnerability to any out-oftown expansion. The data in the study also showed the potential to expand leisure provision and the evening economy. Townscape The Worksop Intervention Strategy from 2016 highlights ways to enhance the physical towscape in and around the centre. Its focus is on key changes to make Worksop a more appealing place to visit, linger and spend money in. The Strategy guided successful funding bids and will shape a new Town Centre Concept and Local Plan policy. People s perceptions & comparable places To get a sense of priorty in dealing with town centre issues in Worksop, we compared customers perceptions with those in similar-sized towns.. This revealed a lot of positive sentiments and only two main negatives: the retail mix and aspects of physical appearance.
Worksop s Forward Framework 5 Sustaining shopping Worksop currently has a strong comparison retail offer, accounting for 48% of floorspace compared to 38% for comparable towns nationally. Evolving leisure The Savoy Cinema is an important addition to the town centre s leisure offer and there is the opportunity to add to this with more restaurants. Empty small shops Measured by floorspace, vacancy rates are comparable to other towns because the majority of the empty units in Worksop are smaller shops. Appearance v cleanliness The recent survey indicates that whilst customers value a cleaner town centre they remain more negative about its long-term physical appearance.
6 Turning-around a town centre Emerging issues D evelopments of big box retail destinations can directly compete with the town centre offer, jeopardising the vitality and viability of the centres. Bassetlaw District Retail and Leisure Study 2016. Town Centre First Like so many places, Worksop faces the twin challenge of sustaining a vibrant town centre whilst serving the local demand for convenient shopping provided by household names. The 2016 Retaii Study highlighted these pressures and the need to have robust town-centre-first policies in the Local Plan that seek to assess impact and extend current High Street capacity. Priory priority The Priory Shopping Centre is an important part of Worksop s popular appeal. In response to tenancy changes and planning applications, maintaining the Priory s offer is an important priority in helping sustain town centre footfall. For example, proposals to conslodiate units to provide larger and more flexible premises were welcomed in the 2016 Retail Study as a way of maintaining the Shopping Centre s appeal.
Worksop s Forward Framework 7 Bringing together partners & priorities Cafe culture The few existing café spaces and restaurants Looking good Worksop town centre will be a thriving envi- Pride of place A distinct character and identity, with many Beware the person focused on single issues and quick fixes! Reviving a town centre s fortunes involves understanding the issues, the linkages between them and coordinating the work of partners to the south of Worksop complement the Savoy Cinema, and the area would benefit from an increased focus in developing an active evening economy to draw visitors to Worksop. ronment for high quality shopping, leisure, cultural and entertainment purposes. Worksop will boast attractive streets and spaces providing high quality spaces to live, work and spend time in. stories to tell and fantastic experiences to be had. A regionally important commercial area with rich cultural, social and historic significance that make it one of the UK s most invigorating places with the passion, skills and resources to tackle them.. Bassetlaw District Retail and Leisure Study 2016 Worksop Intervention Strategy 2016 North Notts Business Improvement District (BID)
8 Turning-around a town centre Putting the partnership in place Britain s Biggest BID W orksop lies at the heart at one of the country s newest and biggest Business Improvement Districts. The North Notts BID covers all of Bassetlaw and is a business-led intitiative that aims to put the area on the map through supporting enterprise. T hrough the leadership provided by the new Worksop Town Centre Task Force, there is an opportunity to bring different interests together in a strong and lasting partnership. The Task Force can provide a necessary sense of direction, and as the Council s Leader comments, provide the glue to bind different players together. Such partnership working isn t effective unless effort is put in to get it right. That way, the North Notts BID, the Worksop Business Forum, community groups, Council departments and other agencies can all play to their strengths and passions to collectively improve the town centre. A Forward Framework formalises this thinking.
Worksop s Forward Framework 9 Engaging all of the community P eople in Worksop comment that it is a strong sense of community that brings them to town. It is vital to maintain this spirit by involving locally-based businesses, community groups and public services in crafting solutions. Communicating and coordinating will be key. Communicating Coordinating Effective communication beween partners, projects and ordinary people is essentail in driving forward successful town centre revitalisation and creating pride of place. With a lot of activity led by different partners, it is vital to get everyone rowing in the same direction. The Task Force can help achieve this through annual action planning and regular reviews.
10 Turning-around Wizzy Annual Report a town 2016 centre MENTAL HEALTH 30-60% Around 30-50% of rough sleepers have been found to suffer from mental health problems. ALCOHOL DEPENDENCY 50% A high percentage of rough sleepers (around 50%) have a serious alcohol problem. DRUG PROBLEM 39% 39% of people sleeping rough under 26 had a drug problem. Source: House of Commons Library, January 2017. Rough Sleeping (England) Briefing Paper Number 02007
Worksop s Forward Framework 11 The local face of a national issue H omelessness, rough sleeping, begging and related anti-social behaviour are emmotive issues that are increasing nationally and that impact massively on the lives of those affected. These are issues that cause great concern to some businesseses at a local level and are increasingly perceived as a priority problem by town centre users. Criminalisation and compassion The response to homelessness and associated anti-social behaviour in Worksop town centre combines community policing and prosecution as necessary within a multi-agency response that also involves a dedicated support worker able to deal with the complexity of individual cases on an on-going basis. The local authority is also working in a way that will be compliant with its new responsibilities under the Homelessness Reduction Act that comes in to force in April 2018. Increase in rough sleepers across England and London, 2010-16. Source: DCLG, January 2017. Rough Sleeping Statistics Autumn 2016 England
12 Turning-around a town centre A Forward Framework L eading a town centre revival can be achieved in different ways. In Worksop the current commitment of the District Council s Leader and Chief Executive to a Town Centre Task Force provides powerful possibilities. A Forward Framework is proposed as a way of defining the how and the what of future activity. Getting organised An important part of a successful town centre revival is understanding how this is best organised. This involves understanding the foundations that bring stakeholders together; the appropriate organisational form; finances; and the commitment, communication and coordination of partners and the wider public. Coordinating delivery Delivery of a successful town centre revival involves the coordination of a range of functions including placeshaping ; planning and property; business support; community and culture; marketing and events. A Forward Framework can help define different roles.
Worksop s Forward Framework 13 Next Steps Evidence-led 1 A Worksop town centre revival needs to continue to build on an evidence-led approach by gathering data through the Local Plan process; understanding business performance; and consulting customers. Engaging partners 2 The Town Centre Task Force can play an important leadership role by engaging with partners, agreeing priorities, coordinating activity, securing new resources and communicating progress. Effective actions 3 Delivering successful town centre revitalisation involves identifying solutions to identified needs, clarifying roles, coordinating activity and monitoring impacts through routine surveys.
14 Turning-around a town centre Delivering joined-up solutions Creating a can-do attitude with local champions Delivering a successful town centre revival is a long-term venture involving vision, ambition, a broad approach and coordinated delivery amongst local champions with the commitment, skills and resources to play their part. Here are some essential building blocks of a successful stategy with long-term targets for delivering joined-up solutions. It can be done! Parking & place-shaping Target: Strategy, funding and prioritised streetscape improvement plan agreed with coordinated travel, parking & access strategy.. Planning & property Target: Robust town-centre-first policies, masterplanning plus priorities within & between towns alongside coordinated work with town centre businesses & landlords.. Retail strategy & skills Target: Tailored training/ mentoring & strategy to enhance retail distinctiveness based on current provision, trends and an understanding of competing centres. Marketing & events Target: Clear understanding of town identity & brand with pooled budgets, collective campaign, digital infrastructure, skills & active plan.
Worksop s Forward Framework 15 Attracting funds A dding value by attracting, allocating and accounting for new funds will be all the more successful where proposals can demonstrate evidence of need, link to wider proposals for the town centre and demonstrate success through measurable impacts. Here are two examples of what is already being achieved through such an approach in Worksop. Restoring heritage Some of Worksop s most iconic, historical buildings at the top of Bridge Street will be brought back to their former glory thanks to a 1.28M grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Supporting enterprise A successful YES campaign for the North Notts BID has unlocked 3.2 million of new investment to support local enterprise and improve the customer experience of Worksop and the wider area.
PREPARED for the Local Government Association & Bassetlaw District Council by Chris Wade, Director, aka @man_about_towns The People & Places Partnership Ltd. The Future Business Centre, Kings Hedges Road, Cambridge, CB4 2HY chris.wade@people-places.co.uk www.people-places.co.uk