Proposals Put Forward To Change Town Centre Forum Workings

The Town Centre Forum could have the number public meetings cut in half with a focus on work rather than discussion if proposals go ahead.

October’s Town Centre Forum heard proposals put forward after recent input from Wrexham Council on how the unconstituted body could be more formalised and restructured to be more attractive to the local business community.

As we noted on our @Wrexham twitter account there was under a handful of actual businesses or traders represented at the forum which has anecdotally lost its appeal to those involved in the town centre for a range of reasons.

Changes could see the end to the recently feisty exchanges including more memorably the Oriel being blasted, the overall debate over the Arts Hub plans, and the raised voiced tit-for-tat several round pantomime exchange from back in May.

Chairman Nigel Lewis told the meeting: “We want to get more businesses to the forum. The more people we can get involved the more hot spots we will have.”

Town Centre Manager, Amanda Davies from Wrexham Council added: “The issue is the Steering Group meets regularly. Often it is just feedback to this Forum what the Steering Group has done. We are looking to increase the Steering Group meetings and reduce the Forum meetings. The plan is to attract more retailers and businesses from the town centre.”

A new sign up and membership form has been created that will be sent out to businesses for them to become part of the Town Centre Forum. It will include areas for issues they feel should be raised to be mentioned.

Mr Lewis added: “All are more than welcome to attend, we hear people want to attend but don’t have staff or ability to attend. If you send us information or PR we can send that on to all members as an update.”

Emailed updates will become a regular thing, rather than the current once a month meeting. Meetings are proposed to not just allow debate on certain topics, but also contain relevant presentations from informed people – the example given being a topical one, having someone more expert on Business Rates to inform discussion.

At Town Centre Forum this morning, lots of Council/Councillors but just 1 or 2 traders of 20 odd here. (Thx to @Kingstcoffee for caffeine!)

— Wrexham.com (@wrexham) October 4, 2016

The Town Centre Forum is often referred to as being ‘consulted’, although that can mean an issue is mentioned rather than debates, votes or resolutions are made. One recent ‘consultation’ raised eyebrows when this item was recorded in a Council document over the future of the markets:

The above quote was denied by Forum Chair Nigel Lewis, yet Councillor Neil Rogers disputed that and confirmed its accuracy – you can read out write up on this again from May. Changes proposed ought to mean output is more formalised and such disputes should not occur due to paper or email trails created.

James Baker, attending the meeting on behalf of Wrexham’s Markets representatives, said: “I used to come to these meetings eight years ago when it was exactly what has been described. It was a prerequisite that you had to have a town centre business to sit here. There were very few Councillors, and sadly very few charities.

“It worked very well, has anyone looked at what has changed? Today there is only one business and a couple of charities. Something has changed to make businesses not want to come here.”

One person described the meeting turn out as ‘quiet’ but did say it was a ‘valid point.

Speaking of ‘no confidence’ in the current set up of the forum, and being clear he was passing on views rather than his own James added of talk of a new separate forum being created: “There has been a suggestion there is a Retail Forum created as they feel they are not represented here or at the Steering Group.”

Amanda Davies from Wrexham Council spoke of encouraging people to take part perhaps ahead of separate groups: “The Steering Group are volunteers who put the time and hours in. Let the people come forward, as that is the issue, there is a commitment of time and effort.”

The Chairman Nigel Lewis added: “In the last 18 months the way the Forum has worked has changed a great deal and that has not been commented on as well as it could have been. Previously we used to spend an hour talking about parking charges, and hardly any business in the town centre came to the forum to talk about it.”

“We have tried to form a proactive system, and I think the Steering Group is that. There is a process where any business who has an issue can come to the Steering Group. If retailers want to set up another association that is fine, but in the first instance I would suggest the Forum.

“There is a connection right up from the trader on the street to the Forum, to the Steering Group, to Neil Rogers for example and Lead Members, right up to the Chief Executive. Representations from the Forum can go to the Assembly, the Assembly Member and the local MP.

Following on the debate on the feedback on the Street Festivals, largely organised by Town Centre Forum members various other bodies had been mentioned. A Community Interest Company set up by the Forum was mentioned as having asked for £5,000 from Wrexham Council to move the festivals ‘up a gear’.

Councillor Phil Wynn suggested an idea to have ‘street level co-ordinators’ with a person nominated to represent an area of the town centre. This was used as an example to a view that the Forum was not representative, with the Markets pointing out they have elected representatives already and did not need to ‘up their game’ as suggested, a comment described as ‘unfair’.

Councillor Bill Baldwin recounted from years ago how “certain people took over the Forum and used it for personal gain. I did not come because of that, people still remember from eight or so years ago.”

James Baker added: “When you have large national chains in the High Street saying the same as small businesses you can’t ignore that. When they are saying something is not right they are not trying to stir, kick anyone. It affects if they can pay mortgages or staff. They need an open way to feedback.”

Bringing the meeting back to the proposed changes Nigel Lewis said “We are not perfect and we want things to improve.”

The as always excellent coverage by Wrexham.com was referenced, as items in the forum get ‘masses of coverage’.

We pointed out we would like to cover the debate as well as the PR, and enquired if the Steering Group would be open to media to cover. We were told they would be a private meetings, but the issue would be raised. (Cllr Baldwin did point out we were also a town centre business!)

Although no vote was taken, nor nodding through of the outlined proposals, it appears the changes will be in place in the new year with meetings becoming bi-monthly at that point. It ought to be noted along with no vote, there was no dissent when the new calendar plan was communicated.

The Town Centre Forum will continue normally until the end of December.

UPDATE: Since the above the Chair of the Steering Group (not the Forum chair) Andrew Atkinson has written to add the following about ‘necessary changes to the forum’:

“The Town Centre Forum is run by volunteers who are all giving up their time to work for a better town centre. The group works with the Council and business owners to improve the town in numerous ways and it has had many significant successes over the last couple of years.

“The forum is not perfect and does need to change, especially to become more representative and more interesting and valuable to local traders and I’m pleased to say we’re working on that and changes are being made.

“We’re proposing changing the frequency to every other month, cutting lots of the agenda out to make a shorter meeting but to also make more time for local businesses to have their say as well as thrash out important issues like business rates and make sure these views are heard by decision makers.

“The Steering Group is a small committee focused on results, all members of the group have to work on tasks and projects to make what we’ve discussed at the forum actually happen. Some of these things include the Street Festivals, the Clean Up Days, lobbying for fairer and cheaper parking charges, lobbying for fairer business rates, encouraging landlords to smarten up shop fronts and much much more. This committee meets just to plan these things out and make them happen.”

“I think the Steering Group can be improved but it’s definitely representative. One example of this is Rob Clarke from the Butchers Market coming to the Forum to raise concerns about his views on pedestrianisation in the town. This was escalated to the Steering Group, Rob was invited along with the appropriate Highways Officer and Rob was informed the process to take his concerns forward with a County Councillor offering to meet him and help him investigate. That’s the group working at its very best and we need more of that”.