You are really just full of wind and piss really, aren't you? - but obviously like the sound of your own voice!!
Make my mind up between what? Have a look at the two quotes you put up, and tell me how they contradict each other? I've said all along that my concern is for the smaller, independent traders in areas of the proposed zone that are unlikely to see any benefit. If the BID team want to do something for the areas I did mention, fair play to them, but they will have to work a lot harder than they are now to convinvce people that it's worth it!!!
Why don't you have any concern for medium and large size traders?
Poor choice of words on my part. What I was getting at is those businesses who are based here (independents) are most likely to be affected by the levy. National chains will not go bust on the basis of an additional 1% levy in Newbury. But you are right, will the levy lead to an increase in the number of empty units in the town centre? It has in most other BID zones, which is why I said rioght at the start that unless there are some very clear benefits for those in the eventual BID zone, we could see businesses leave the town.
At least in the four areas I have mentioned, they are likely to see a result of the increased footfall. But that alone does not justify the levy. Even with a healthy high street over the past twelve months (footfall in comparison to other areas), companies like Ann Summers are still leaving town. Will the BID levy be a step to far for other national chains who have stores here that are struggling to break even?
Make my mind up between what? Have a look at the two quotes you put up, and tell me how they contradict each other? I've said all along that my concern is for the smaller, independent traders in areas of the proposed zone that are unlikely to see any benefit. If the BID team want to do something for the areas I did mention, fair play to them, but they will have to work a lot harder than they are now to convinvce people that it's worth it!!!
You wanted it open to all businesses - but now some shouldn't contribute - or parts of Newbury should be excluded.
Leave it to you and before long we will end up with a Parkway advertising committee.
If the bid is succeds the min is 1% but it can rise to 5%. So for Independents if they have a rates bill of £10k it could add another £500 per year, so it is worth watching and if you vote against the BID but lose you still pay.
So Cheap Street needs no improvement in your view?? I would have thought they could benefit more from revitalisation.
That's not what I'm saying. If the BID was going to advertise Cheap Street specifically or do something to help the traders in that street, they would be inclined to vote for it. But at present, there appears to be little or no value for them, so that's why I said they should be cut out. I've already said that the BID team still have time to resolve it, but they will have to work fast as confidence in that part of town and Bart Street suggests that they will all vote against.
One would have thought like User23 said, a rough plan would have been in place when approaching retailers, with the promise to incluse additional ideas that they came up with. To go in with an empty sheet of paper and give three examples that are already covered by existing rates doesn't inspire confidence.
So Cheap Street needs no improvement in your view?? I would have thought they could benefit more from revitalisation.
Loss of the car park accompanied by the extensive road closures to build the cinema has had a devastating effect on business in Cheap Street. Even now with the cinema open and roadworks completed, shoppers are not coming back to the area. Cinemagoers don't use the Cheap Street entrance, they park in the KC multi storey and walk through the centre.
Back in the late nineties Sainsbury's offered to build a pedestrian bridge to link their store across the A339 to the end of Carnegie Road. This would have provided extra footfall from shoppers going between Sainsbury's and the town centre. This money was grabbed by the Lib Dem cycling fanatics who wanted to provide the cycle route across the A339 at the roundabout. (Even though we had a perfectly adequate subway). The idea was that pedestrians would come along Kings Road West to get into town. The reality was that the pedestrians chose the more direct route alongside the telephone exchange.
These were the same Lib Dems who decided we didn't need a two way bridge from Park Way into the Wharf. (on the advice of the officers from West Berks). I attended the meetings prior to the construction of the Parkway Bridge and the WBC officers were insisting that a two way bridge would be 6 inches away from the Stone Building. My comment at the time was that we wanted a two way bridge, not a two lane dual carriageway.
One would have thought like User23 said, a rough plan would have been in place when approaching retailers, with the promise to incluse additional ideas that they came up with. To go in with an empty sheet of paper and give three examples that are already covered by existing rates doesn't inspire confidence.
I have mixed feelings on this.
It's not entirely fair for improvements to shopping to be paid for by non-retail businesses, just in the same way that it's not fair for taxpayers in Lambourn to pay for nice cobbled streets in Newbury. But on the other hand, it's empowering for businesses to get stuff done and not to whinge about WBC when customers go elsewhere (as it's often because they have a 'me too' business and don't evolve).
Also, there's an opportunity for the dead hand of WBC to be removed from decision-making. And it creates a more democratic replacement for the clubby TCP.
I don't have a problem with the BID taking on streetcleaning, Christmas lights etc...but on condition that my taxes are reduced accordingly.
And to answer the Labour Party, I DO expect a blank piece of paper. We've had 30 years of fait accompli in this town, so here's a chance for a system to provide transparency, accountability and direct democracy to do the things MOST people want, by ASKING them first etc.
But it will make goods and services MORE expensive in Newbury, and that is a dangerous game.
Can someone explain who the traders in Cheap st are? As far as I can tell there is a camera & a fancy dress shop. One of which is about to close.
Indeed, what were these businesses it had a "devastating effect on"?
There's a couple of take-away places, a church, some estate agents, Conservative Party HQ but bar The Dram Room which I think is only open by appointment I can't think of any retailers in Cheap Street.
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