How Will We Deliver the Strategy?

8 How Will We Deliver the Strategy?

Council will share the Strategy with stakeholders with an interest, role or remit in the development of Carrickfergus Town Strategy. These will include:

• Council’s Community Planning partners • Carrickfergus Townscape Heritage Initiative (until the programme ends in March 2022) • Town Centre business representatives • Community and voluntary organisations operating in Carrickfergus

Where appropriate, Council will lead on actions and be responsible for the implementation of the Strategy. Equally, where relevant, other stakeholders will take a lead on actions set out in the Ten Year Strategy and their responsibility will be identified and resourcing sought, identified or provided. Ultimately if the Ten Year Town Centre Strategy is to be effective it will require a combination of: • Leadership • Partnership working (co-design and co-delivery) • Resourcing from within Council budgets or identifying resourcing externally Effective implementation of the Strategy might also require new partnerships to deliver elements of the Strategy. Initially leadership will be provided by the Council and via engaging appropriate statutory and community partners via the Community Planning Partnership.

The Theme One Action Plan sets out the actions which will be put in place to provide the leadership and structures in place to deliver the ten year Town Centre Strategy.

9 Monitoring and Delivery Framework

In implementing the 2020 – 2030 Carrickfergus Town Centre Strategy MEABC will monitor and review:

• The Strategy’s effectiveness at tackling issues in the town • Alterations to other relevant local strategies, for example the emerging Carrickfergus

Regeneration Investment Plan. • Changes in national and local circumstances during the life of the Strategy, for example the Local Development Plan and the Belfast Metropolitan Area & Transport Plans

The following implementation and monitoring framework has been developed to ensure the outcomes of this Town Centre Strategy can be delivered.

THEME PRINCIPAl OUTCOMES

Vision and Leadership Carrickfergus has a strong leadership vehicle in place which brings the energy, experience, resources and knowledge of the public, private and community sectors to the delivery of the 2020-2030 Town Centre Strategy and the Mission and Outcomes set out in it.

Physical Presentation and Performance

Reimagining Carrickfergus Town Centre

Programming the Town Centre: Animation and Events • Carrickfergus presents a strong retail offer, for both citizens of Carrickfergus and visitors to the Town. • Carrickfergus has a more diversified commercial and business base where its strong retail offer is complemented and augmented by high business birth rates in growth sectors such as new creativity. • Carrickfergus Town Centre is a safe and welcoming town centre for citizens and visitors; the town is perceived as safe and welcoming and its performance against anti-social and crime indicators is in line with the best performing town centres in Northern Ireland. • The Town Centre is a focal point and gathering place for the whole community and visitors to the town. • The communities external to Carrickfergus Town Centre are connected to it physically and through its range of offers.

• Carrickfergus Town Centre has vacancy levels which are in line with those towns presenting the lowest 10%. • Carrickfergus Town Centre has developed as a desirable urban living environment.

• Carrickfergus Town Centre provides a range of retail, hospitality and events which complements investment in strategic assets which attract visitors to the

Town, Borough and Northern Ireland.

Branding, Promotion and Communication • Carrickfergus will have a well-defined brand recognised by its citizens and visitors to the Town and Borough. • Carrickfergus will be perceived as a welcoming well-presented town which provides experiences combined with the highest levels of service.

INDICATORS OF ACHIEVEMENT

• Leadership structure and group established. • Quality buy-in from traders. • Number of traders involved. • BID established (if sufficient support exists).

• Number of vacant commercial properties. • Town centre health check. • Number of business start-ups (town centre business birth rate). • Number of jobs created through new town centre based business start ups. • Diversified business base. • Levels of reported ASB incidences. • User and visitors’ feedback on perception and experience. PRINCIPAl MEANS OF DElIVERY

Town Centre Strategy Actions Community Plan Corporate Plan

Town Centre Strategy Actions Community Plan Corporate Plan THI Action Plans PCSP Action Plan

• Number of vacant commercial properties. • Vacancy percentage compared to norm for NI.

• Number of new events. • Participation in events. • Profile of people attending events (number of visitors). • Perception of events via participant surveys.

• Annual footfall count. • Tourism: number of visitors. • Tourism: visitor spend. • Tourism: visitor length of stay. Town Centre Strategy Actions Community Plan Corporate Plan THI Action Plans

Town Centre Strategy Actions Tourism Strategy Arts and Culture Strategies

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