Chief Executive’s Office Town Hall, Corporation Street, St Helens Merseyside WA10 1HP Contact: Mike Palin Tel: 01744 676100 mikepalin@sthelens.gov.uk Our ref: MP/BS
July 2015
The Town Centre Commission Report represents a welcome addition to the evidence base on how we can take forward the economic regeneration of the Borough. It contains a number of strategic recommendations, some of which we are already progressing, as well as some more operational suggestions. As such, the report will be an important input to work underway to produce an economic growth approach for the town and Borough as a whole. The Commission Report is an independent piece of work and will be fully considered over upcoming months as part of wider work considering the future of the Borough. One of the key recommendations of the Commission report is that the Council appoint a Town Centre Manager. The Council has already advertised a post which, subject to being able to identify an appropriate person, should be in place this summer. The Council has also commissioned a mater-planning exercise for the Town Centre which will soon be engaging directly with a range of interested parties. The aim is to identify the future landscape and function of the Town Centre and to ensure that any development contributes to that end point position; St Helens has an exceptional reputation amongst the development community for supporting development and the master-planning exercise will not only identify the best outcome for the Town as a whole, but will provide confidence to investors about the overall ambition of the town. The Council has already held discussions with a number of land-holders with development interests in and around the Town Centre and this engagement exercise will continue. Schemes such as those at Linkway West which will see further development over upcoming months, proves that St Helens provides an attractive proposition to the development community. The Council faces a considerable number of challenges over the years ahead not least, the need to find up to £23m of savings over the next two years from our budgets and potentially £40m by 2020. The Borough too faces considerable challenges including the need to revitalise the town centre with an ambition, but also realism, about what role a town centre can play. This will involve engaging with all key partners, including retailers and other businesses within the town centre, to understand the opportunity and need. The Council remains committed to pro-actively engaging with all concerned.
Mike Palin Chief Executive
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St. Helens Town Centre Improvement Commission September 2014 – March 2015
In September 2014, Ged Gibbons Consultancy accepted a Town Centre Improvement Commission from St. Helens Council to chair a ‘root and branch’ review of St Helens town centre. The key Terms of Reference for the Town Centre Improvement Commission are:
To produce a strategy to secure a long term viable future for the town centre
To produce, monitor and keep updated a Town Centre enhancement action plan in a form which can be monitored and updated
To work closely with Town Centre property owners to secure suitable end users for the vacant space
To assist vacant property owners to target retailers which it is considered would attract shoppers to the Town Centre
To review current car parking policy with the aim of increasing use by those visiting the Town Centre as opposed to working in the Town Centre
To suggest improvements to the Town Centre, for consideration by the Cabinet, which if implemented would increase occupancy levels
To review the events offer to ensure that the programme has the maximum impact on the Town Centre
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“The key to selecting the right strategies is to understand the needs of the community in detail; this necessitates an understanding of what town centres are today and the drivers of change likely to impact town centres going forward.” (‘Town Centre Futures’ White Paper) A National ‘High Street’ Perspective The UK High Street in 2015 is more competitive than it has ever been: competition from neighbouring towns, cities and out-of-town retail parks; greater choice in supermarkets; the extended retail offer from the four major hypermarkets; the internet; major loss of public sector jobs; increased rents; excessive businesses rates; retail planning policy; vacancy rates; M-retailing; reduced share of retail spend; loss of footfall; lack of government support; retail turnover; predicting the future; a reluctance to embrace change. Our high streets have changed enormously, and will not return to the traditional 9am – 5pm retail trading environment of the late twentieth century. Mary Portas, in her High Street Report, suggests that we cannot, nor should not, try to save all of our high streets. Some high streets have failed, and will never return to their halcyon days. Some estimates suggest 100,000 vacant units by 2020, with vacancies exceeding 30% in some areas. St Helens has a lower percentage of vacant units than the rest of the North West, but the changing retail environment clearly needs to be embraced. The key challenge for our town centres is relatively straight forward: embrace change, and diversify…………… or perish. St Helens Town Centre Improvement Commission (TCIC) The TCIC met every month from September 2014 to March 2015. Attendees were drawn from a wide variety of organisations: private sector retailers, Small Medium Sized Enterprises (SME’s), Local Government, Merseyside Police, Chamber of Commerce, Health, Housing, Faith Groups, Property Owners and Developers, Arts and Culture, Sport, and the Night Time Economy (NTE). In addition, as chairman I have met with several dozen individuals and town centre organisations in recent months, some with individual issues, but the majority who share a fierce sense of pride in St Helens town centre. A time-limited Commission such as TCIC precludes the active engagement of the wider public: shoppers, visitors, workers, students, young people, and senior members of the community. This hugely important component will be dealt with as part of the wider public engagement which will form the broad base of the consultation of a strategic town centre plan. Presentations were made to the Commission from leading figures from the industry of town and city centre management, including: Regeneration, Marketing, and Social Media & Website development, Governance, Corporate Performance and Policy.
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What is St Helens town centre? Where is St Helens town centre? The first challenge for the Commission was to agree on a common boundary for the town centre. With a linear town centre, stretching from Duke Street to the Linkway/Langtree Park development, the ASDA and West Point roundabout, including Victoria Square and Corporation Street, the Commission agreed democratically to focus on the following boundary, when referring to ‘the town centre’:
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What is the future direction of St Helens Town Centre? St Helens does not currently have a Town Centre Strategy, and has not had a town centre-specific strategic document or plan for a number of years. Since 2007, St Helens has not had a Town Centre Manager (TCM). As a result, without strategic direction or a single ‘point of contact’ for the town centre, communication between key stakeholders has become fractured and sketchy. Whilst some limited communication has occurred in recent years, there has been no co-ordinated approach to Town Centre Communications or Marketing. Consequently, there is currently no sense of collective ownership or promotion of the town centre. The TCIC propose the following, as crucial to the future of St Helens Town Centre:
The immediate recruitment of a Town Centre Manager (TCM), who will become the link / ‘conduit’ between all town centre stakeholders. The TCM will oversee and implement TCIC proposals, and liaise with all stakeholders via a Marketing and Communications Strategy approved by the newly-founded Town Centre Forum. A strategic Town Centre Forum be created, chaired by a private sector stakeholder, comprising senior decision- making members from:
Private Sector – eg. retailers, shopping centre managers, SME representatives, Night Time Economy / Leisure & Culture Public Health Merseytravel Merseyside Police Property Developers Property Owners Housing Chamber of Commerce Faith Groups representative St Helens Council Local Media Include Retail Parks, West Point and St Helens RLFC
The Town Centre Forum to be served by the TCM, through the monitoring, evaluation and delivery of the agreed action plan.
A limited number of operational sub-groups and ‘task and finish’ groups be created, with the respective chairman to report in to the Town Centre Forum. All sub-groups to be attended by the TCM.
Events Environment & Safety Communications, Promotion & Marketing Physical Development, Regeneration & Innovation
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Produce, monitor and keep updated a Town Centre Enhancement Action Plan Currently, there a number of Officers within the Local Authority and the Chamber of Commerce who have a town centre role: Regeneration (Planning, Building Control, Events, Marketing and PR, Safety, Markets, Housing), Building Locations Manager, Inward Investment, Children’s Services, Youth Services, and Business Support. A full audit of these respective roles, budgets, performance management, evaluation and monitoring needs to be assessed before the TCM draws up the Town Centre Monitoring and Evaluation Plan. There is potential for existing budgets to be rationalised and / or realigned. However, key components of the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan to include: Monthly monitoring of vacant units, crucially including names and contact details for all vacant properties Monthly meeting between TCM and Town Centre Cleansing Manager Monthly meeting between TCM and Town Centre Police Inspector Monthly meetings with Shopping Centre Safety Managers TCM be furnished with copies of Service Level Agreements (SLA’s) for all Council contracts in town centre e.g. Cleansing, Street Lighting, Environmental Maintenance A monthly TCM update bulletin on a revamped Town Centre Website, including: the environment, vacancies, new businesses, training, events, retail and leisure offers, seasonal promotions and attractions, traffic / transportation / access, Night Time Economy (NTE), Culture and Arts Events to be discussed and approved by the Town Centre Forum, following recommendations from the TCM Establish ‘Task & Finish’ groups on an ‘ad hoc’ basis, to resolve persistent issues e.g. Church Square, coordinated by the TCM.
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To work closely with Town Centre property owners to secure suitable end users for the vacant space Following the rationalisation / audit of existing town centre business support, the following to be implemented:
The purchase of specialist Performance Management systems.
For those systems to dove-tail with national and local sources of data on demographics, age and gender profiling, car ownership, employment levels, home ownership.
Data to be used for marketing purposes in conjunction with information from Council and Chamber of Commerce.
Shopping Centre Management to supply Footfall figures to the TCM on a monthly basis
TCM to supply Footfall figures relating to Town Centre animation: events, promotional activities, marketing initiatives
A full ‘Market Appraisal’ of Leisure and Retail to be carried out by independent industry experts, to identify opportunities for town centre vacant units and vacant sites. This appraisal to include Hardshaw and Church Square Shopping Centres
TCM to liaise with shopping centre managers / owners, property agents and the Local Authority to adopt a pro-active approach to the marketing and ‘selling’ of the town centre.
Local ‘Pop Up’ shops and short-term lease agreements be secured by TCM / Council with property owners
Support for local business ‘Start Ups’ e.g. Students from St Helens College, Artists, Design and Fashion, in conjunction with the Heart of Glass initiative.
TCM to work directly with St Mary’s Market Manager and interested stakeholders to stimulate interest in, and growth of, the town centre Markets’ offer.
TCM to explore Vinyl Dressing of long-term vacant units. A ‘branding’ opportunity for the property owners, Local Authority, or Town Centre Forum.
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To review current car parking policy with the aim of increasing use by those visiting the Town Centre as opposed to working in the Town Centre: Given the linear nature of the town centre, and the proliferation of town centre car parks, visitors often has difficulty in finding their way around the town centre. St Helens is not an easy town centre to navigate, and the ‘one way’ system operational in Chalon Way has truncated the two way flow to/from the town centre via St Helens Linkway. This presents access problems for ‘out of town’ visitors. Directional signage to town centre car parks is confusing. Signs operate on the assumption that the visitor actually knows the location of car parks e.g. Hardshaw Centre, whilst the reality is that this car park is extremely difficult to find. Church Square Shopping Centre car park ‘appears’ to be owned by the Centre. However, the car park revenue belongs to the Local Authority. There is an ideal opportunity for the Shopping Centre owners and the Council to work more closely together on the physical appearance of the car park. Working on the premise that ‘you only have one chance to make a first impression’, the experience of the visitor could be much improved in this instance. The recent ‘free car parking’ initiative in the town centre enjoyed limited success (a full evaluation of the initiative is currently being compiled by the Local Authority). There was no improvement to Footfall figures / visitor numbers. There is some evidence that the subsidised initiative merely adjusted shopping times for some local shoppers i.e. people coming in to town later in the day (after 3pm). As a result, and due to poor communication with town centre businesses, some businesses saw relatively quiet lunch times (when they were fully staffed in anticipation of a busy period), then an uplift after 3pm (when many casual staff had gone home). Some ‘free car parking’ was used by staff, therefore not attracting shoppers, visitors, additional Footfall Poor Marketing and Communication, within the borough of St Helens, the Town Centre and throughout the wider City Region, resulted in a poor ‘take up’ of the subsidised offer. Marketing needs to be targeted, and to include Marketing and Promotion outside the borough, including ‘guerrilla’ marketing in neighbouring retail districts. Hardshaw and Church Square Shopping Centre Managers were not consulted or communicated with, despite having two of the largest car parks in the city centre. As part of the proposed Town Centre Forum, the shopping centre managers will be instrumental in promoting and developing such marketing initiatives. Existing technology permits existing car parking revenue machines to be adapted. An opportunity to offer Loyalty bonuses and / or charge reductions to town centre users i.e. shoppers, visitors Opportunity to use Car Parks for visual promotion and marketing of town centre: vinyl banners, future events, ‘offers’ on back of car parking tickets, windscreen flyers etc.
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To suggest improvements to the Town Centre, for consideration by the Cabinet, which if implemented would increase occupancy levels As a priority, recruit and appoint a Town Centre / Locations Manager Establish a Town Centre Forum, and fully support the adoption of a Town Centre Development Strategy, leading up to 2018, the 150th birthday of St Helens being granted status of ‘town’, including all elements of St Helens town centre: Urban Regeneration: Planning, Development, Building Control Development Opportunities Daytime (Retail) Economy Night Time Economy Market appraisal of Leisure, Retail, Night Time Economy, and Vacant Sites Health and Well Being Housing Police Built Environment Implement a Public Space Protection Order Events Marketing & PR Arts, Heritage, Culture Education Faith Groups St Helens College Renew membership of Association of Town & City Management (ATCM) Introduce Footfall cameras to town centre, to assist Council, Merseyside Police, Retailers, St Helens Parish Church, to monitor Footfall, Crowd Dynamics, and generate Data / Statistics for Marketing purposes Improve and extend the Festive Lighting scheme, incorporating major gateways and key roundabouts, including Chalon Way Concentrate on Destination Marketing of St Helens i.e. promote the numerous St Helens offers and the town as a place to live in, work in, visit and enjoy Social Media for the town centre to be coordinated by one person, a single point of contact, to avoid confusion, and to create consistency of message. Merseytravel to be a key consultee and stakeholder within the town centre, promoting greater accessibility to the town centre Town Centre Manager to work closely with Public Health Officers to work in collaboration on health-related events, educational furniture, way-finding signage, animation of town centre public open spaces, to create an environment to promote Health and Well Being
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To review the events offer to ensure that the programme has the maximum impact on the Town Centre Recommendation - All town centre events to concentrate on:
Quality Communication Collaboration Variety Marketing, PR & Promotion Family-Friendly
The Events Programme had become tired and predictable. There was little evaluation or monitoring of events, with little consultation or collaboration with key retailers, therefore difficult to justify the considerable expenditure or demonstrate a return on investment (ROI). Events tended to take place exclusively on Saturday afternoon. This was an overinvestment of budget and personnel on the busiest day of the retail week. Animation or stimulation of the retail environment outside of this ‘window’ was extremely limited. The seasonal events programmes had become repetitive, with a clear lack of synergy with or inclusion of the town centre private sector stakeholders. Options to work collaboratively with external, private sector operators to deliver mutuallybeneficial events, offering economies of scale and joint marketing initiatives, have been largely missed or overlooked. Greater emphasis is required on ‘Quality’ Events, not ‘Quantity’. Greater support for private sector-led events is required. The Town Centre Forum is the vehicle to ensure collaborative partnership working, evaluation and monitoring of the town centre events programme, in order to generate a greater sense of town centre community ownership. For example:
The Westfield Music Festival in June Continental Specialist Market in Autumn CAMRA Beer Festival in September Family Fun Festival in Summer Christmas Events in Tyrers e.g. Santa’s Arrival, Santa’s Grotto Lantern Procession (or Christmas Event with Children’s Services / town centre schools) ‘Heart of Glass’ (funded) Events programme – Arts, Heritage, Culture (up to 2019) Fashion Show in Summer St Helens College Graduation Day – Town Centre Celebration Saints’ Open Day Vintage Market / Students’ Market, offering subsidised rents for students.
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Health and Well Being events, creating community cohesion, promotion of key Health messages, and making the town centre more accessible and socially inclusive. Approximately £30,000 Health budget per annum could be invested in a more inclusive town centre events and streetscape programme
Greater linkages are needed between the Christmas Lights ‘Switch On’ and the town centre Christmas ‘offer’ – and the question of choosing the right venue: is Victoria Square too ‘off pitch’ for the rest of the town centre? Whilst large crowds are drawn to the ‘Switch On’ event, the Town Centre Forum will be key consultees in terms of the overall Christmas Events programme. Some funding could be invested in a wide town centre animation programme to support the Switch On, including a Night Time Economy indoor programme, to keep visitors in the town centre. Presently, thousands of pounds are generated annually by the Council’s Marketing Section within the town centre for the hire and use of public, open space. If this money were to be ring-fenced for exclusive use within an Events and Animation budget, via a Section 115 agreement, this money could then be used to support, promote and expand on a developing town centre events programme. All proposals need to be coordinated by the TCM, in conjunction with Council Officers, before gaining the approval of the Town Centre Forum. Consideration is to be given to using other town centre venues, other than the overused Church Square, for town centre events. Improvements to the outside of St Mary’s Market, along with some Cherry trees to soften the public realm, would create an excellent event venue, and would help footfall between St Mary’s Market and the World of Glass. Extend the events programme to incorporate Sundays and evenings (weather permitting), thereby helping to stimulate the economy and increase Footfall. The Westfield Music Festival has the potential, in time, to equal the successful Bold Street Festival in Liverpool, also staged on Sundays. Private sector leadership on some events e.g. Tyrers at Christmas, is a perfect relationship between the Council, the Town Centre Forum and individual businesses. With limited financial support via the Town Centre Forum, there is a great opportunity for the events programme to expand, without having to rely exclusively on Council resources. This private/public partnership approach will create a greater sense of town centre community and camaraderie.
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Executive Summary The key recommendations of the Town Centre Improvement Commission are:
Recruit and appoint a Town Centre Manager as a priority
Build on the partnerships created within the Commission, by creating a strategic Town Centre Forum (TCF) of key town centre stakeholders
Key sub groups to be created to support the TCF (TCM)
TCF to be key consultees in the production of a Town Centre Strategic Development Plan, maximising the year 2018 (the 150th anniversary of St Helens town)
Introduce to the town centre a Performance Management Framework, including: Evaluation of existing human and financial resources for the town centre
Monitor the Environmental Management of the Town Centre: Public Realm, Cleansing, Lighting, CCTV, Safety
Introduce a Recycling discount voucher scheme in the borough via a £216K grant – partnership between the Council and Chamber
Introduce ‘ad hoc’ ‘Task and Finish’ groups (TCM)
Introduce Footfall cameras to the town centre
Purchase additional performance-capturing data systems
A Car Parking Loyalty Scheme be introduced (TCM / Bob McAllister)
A comprehensive ‘Hub and Spoke’ approach to an all-encompassing Communications and Marketing Strategy
Introduce Customer Service Training, and celebrate with annual Town Centre Awards Evening
Create a dedicated Social Media offer for the town centre: Facebook, Twitter, animated town centre Website, to be overseen by TCM.
Destination Marketing of St Helens as a Town Centre, including outside of the borough
Events Programme has been completely overhauled, with an emphasis on quality and greater involvement of the private sector, Public Health, Housing, and external event organisers (e.g. Specialist Markets). TCF to be key consultee on town centre events.
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Town Centre Forum to lobby St Helens Council and other Funding Agencies for ‘Business Support for Retail’ (currently excluded) to help assist town centre businesses, particularly SME’s and new business ‘start ups’.
Introduce an environment of Evaluation, Collaboration, Communication and Transparency, with key town centre stakeholders having a more strategic role in maintaining, managing, sustaining and developing a vibrant St Helens town centre.
A private/public partnership approach to the town centre will create a greater sense of collective ownership. Whilst it is unlikely that neither the geography nor the critical mass of St Helens town centre lends itself to the creation of a Business Improvement District (BID), it is crucial that the Town Centre Forum is formed with immediate effect, in order to generate traction from the six month process of the Town Centre Improvement Commission.
The Town Centre Forum will only be effective if it is inclusive, open, and is truly representative of the wider town centre offer. As the key strategic town centre network, the TCF must have members who are decision-makers, with authority, in order to influence the town centre agenda in the coming years.
With 2018 being the 150th anniversary of St Helens’ status of ‘town’, this will provide the TCF an opportunity to work to a specific date in terms of identifying and achieving its goals.
A celebration of St Helens in 2018 should be a priority for the town centre, with St Helens industrial heritage being celebrated, along with the modern town centre. Approaches should be made now to attract national organisations such as Radio ONE Live Show.
A 2018 Carnival – as used to take place annually in the town centre – would bring together key businesses and retailers with floats and performers, with a possible concert in Sherdley Park.
March 2015
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Supporting TCIC Material
Presentation by Ged Gibbons, September 2014
Presentation by Karen Gillis, St Helens Council – Social Media, Website Development
Presentation by Chris Collinge, St Helens Council - Accountancy, Exchequer & Performance
Presentation by Martin Blackwell, former chief executive of the Association of Town and City Management (ATCM)
Presentation by Dave Boocock, St Helens Youth Service
Presentation by Diane Wehrle, Springboard
Presentation by Steve Barnes, Langtree
Presentation by Ged Gibbons to St Helens Council’s Cabinet
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