BIDMATTERS newsletter June 2016 by Successful Sutton

BIDMATTERS Quarterly newsletter 5 I June 2016

Ross Feeney, Chief Executive, ross.feeney@successfulsutton.co.uk

Introduction

Welcome to our latest BID newsletter. Our high streets are at the very heart of our communities but up and down the country the story is the same, high streets are facing unprecedented challenges. This is felt even more acutely this month with the sad news that high street stalwart BHS is to close. Our thoughts are with our colleagues at BHS at this time. Being mindful of the pressures and challenges facing high street businesses, we are working hard to increase weekend footfall in the town centre with a mix of events, street entertainment and the launch of a new monthly farmers’ and artisan market. We have also overseen the launch of the Pop Up Sutton market enabling business startups to showcase their products and services. The monthly pop-up market is revitalising the northern end of the high street, drawing customers to the town and providing opportunities for new business ventures to flourish. I am also pleased to report that investor confidence remains high and we are starting to see real signs of growth and investment in Sutton. As the Times Square redevelopment draws to a conclusion we can look forward to TK Maxx opening a new store and the arrival of PureGym. We are also welcoming jeweller Pandora to the St Nicholas Centre and Coffee Republic, Malpass Markets and Shinner & Sudstone have all chosen to open outlets in Sutton. We will continue to press the case for further investment to enable Sutton to continue on its path of growth and to ensure the town remains a thriving commercial and business centre. In the meantime, we are here to represent you. Let us know what more we can do to help your business. We’re your voice and we want to hear from you.

bake&TAKE KEEPS SHOPPER SHUTTLE ON THE MOVE A new sponsorship deal has been struck with retailer bake&TAKE to keep Sutton’s shopper shuttle on the move. The shuttle, a modified six-seater golf buggy, has provided a lifeline for many shoppers for whom parts of the high street were inaccessible. For the past 18 months the shopper shuttle was sponsored by the Post Office, which stepped in to ensure the free service could continue after a successful trial. That deal has not been renewed. Now retailer bake&TAKE has agreed to sponsor the shuttle enabling the service to remain operational. Successful Sutton chief executive, Ross Feeney, said: “I am delighted we have been able to secure new sponsorship for the buggy. We must thank the Post Office for their 18-month commitment to supporting the buggy. They stepped in to sponsor the buggy, and support visitors to the high street, when the St Nicholas Centre Post Office closed. Without their support the buggy service may well have ended. “Looking to the future, the buggy continues to be funded exclusively by businesses (there is no public funding for the service) through Successful Sutton. However, we do still need sponsorship to keep the buggy operational. “bake&TAKE have kindly sponsored the buggy for the last couple of months and we much say a huge thank you to them for doing so. Please support bake&TAKE, I can recommend the bacon rolls, and thank them for their support.”

The shopper shuttle runs between 9am and 5.30pm Monday to Saturday and is free to use. Sponsorship of the buggy is available on a rolling monthly basis and provides an excellent platform for promoting a business or service. To find out more about sponsoring the shuttle, email teresa.whitfield@successfulsutton.co.uk Get social with our shopper shuttle. Follow @SuttonBuggy on Twitter or on Facebook www.facebook.com/suttonbuggy

WHAT IS A BID? A BID (Business Improvement District) is a business-led and funded partnership created to deliver additional services to businesses within a defined commercial area. In our case, the BID operates in Sutton High Street. Once a BID has been established by a majority vote, companies are legally bound to pay a surcharge on their business rates each year. The levy is used to develop projects that will directly benefit businesses from street cleaning, providing security, making capital improvements, events and marketing. In Sutton, the levy is currently 1.05% on all businesses within the BID area that have a rateable value above £10,000. Businesses below that threshold can pay a voluntary annual levy of £100. Successful Sutton was established in October 2012 and runs until October 2017. As a BID we invest money in activities and services to promote and improve Sutton, and we strive to secure best value for you, our levy payers. Our responsibilities are divided into four themes or sub-groups: Enhancing Sutton, Delivering Value, Protecting Sutton and Brighter Sutton.

NEW RADIOS A sum of £26,000 has been invested in new radio handsets and aerials to help keep Sutton safe. The town centre radio network enables businesses and the police to work closely together to detect and deter crime. The upgraded system will allow retailers to communicate effectively, share information, protect stock and ensure staff and customers are safe. Successful Sutton has funded the upgrade as part of its remit to work in partnership with businesses and the police to identify and prevent crime in the town centre. In addition, the BID also purchased 1,000 bag clips and dipping bells in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police as part of Shop Watch. The bells can be attached to a bag, purse or wallet with a clip. Any movement and the bells will jingle and alert you to an attempted theft by ‘dipping’ or pickpocketing. Crime prevention teams handed out the bells to shoppers along with advice on how to keep personal items secure.

Reduce, reuse, recycle. We all know the importance of the three Rs and how doing our bit can help the environment.

Successful Sutton has been running a free kerbside recycling service, in partnership with First Mile, since 2013.

WHAT IS ENJOY SUTTON? Enjoy Sutton is our promotions brand for the town centre. We actively promote Sutton by running regular marketing and social media campaigns, competitions, high street events and community initiatives. As a destination brand, we are committed to raising Sutton’s profile as a great place to shop, dine, work and live. All Enjoy Sutton events and activities are exclusive to the town centre and are funded by Successful Sutton. See our updated website for news, events and a town centre directory. www.enjoysutton.co.uk

“Our investment in the radio network will ensure businesses are fully supported and I would encourage levypayers not already involved to find out about the benefits of the scheme.” Sutton’s radio scheme ties in with Shop Watch, which unites retailers, the police and the BID. Meetings are held on the last Thursday of each month at Successful Sutton’s offices. Retailers joining the free scheme are given Shop Watch window stickers to display in their premises as a crime deterrent. To receive a Shop Watch welcome pack, or register your interest in attending a meeting, email shopwatch@successfulsutton.co.uk

RECYCLE AND SAVE MONEY But did you know that recycling your waste could also save your business money?

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Ross Feeney, Successful Sutton chief executive, said: “Sutton has one of the lowest crime rates in London but we know how important the radio scheme is as a deterrent to crime.

On average 7 to 9 tonnes of mixed recycling is collected monthly. Items include cardboard, paper, mixed cans, plastic and glass as well as food waste. Since its launch the kerbside scheme has saved more than 160 tonnes of waste from going into landfill sites. And the number of businesses taking part has steadily grown and now stands at more than 95. It’s easy to sign up, email info@successfulsutton.co.uk with the subject line ‘mixed recycling’.

Did you know our street operations team can be on site within an hour to tackle urgent problems in the town centre? From removing chewing gum from pavements, collecting litter and overflowing bins to targeting mess from night-time events, we work to ensure the high street is a clean and attractive area. The service also deals with unsightly graffiti, regularly treating hot spots, as well as using specialist equipment to carry out deep cleansing of the high street. All BID levy payers have access to the free service, which is available between 9am and midday Tuesday to Friday. To report an issue, call 020 8770 3173 during service operating hours.

BID levy payers can benefit directly from our range of business support services, which are provided free of charge or subsidised by Successful Sutton. We’d love to hear your ideas about services you would like to see or ways we can improve the services we currently provide. Email ross.feeney@successfulsutton.co.uk

Quarterly newsletter 5 I June 2016

www.successfulsutton.co.uk

POP UP SUCCESS

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A number of fledging businesses have taken their first steps following the launch of Pop Up Sutton’s market.

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Among them is Doug Sheffield, a City worker by day, who dreamed of setting up his own business on a weekend as a sideline.

www.enjoysutton.co .uk

He looked at a number of options before coming up with the idea for Frieda’s Frozen Yoghurt. Doug said: “I wanted to do something that was different. After looking at different things I decided on frozen yogurt. It’s really big in the States but not so big in the UK.”

The Pop Up Sutton initiative enables startups and entrepreneurs to showcase their business ventures in Sutton town centre.

Doug bought a 1966 H van to trade from and then started to look for markets and venues close to home where he could have a pitch.

Successful Sutton is delivering the 18-month business support programme on behalf of Opportunity Sutton, the economic arm of Sutton Council.

He heard about the Pop Up Sutton scheme by chance and since committing to the programme has been able to put his product ideas to the test as well as start to build a customer base.

The fully funded programme consists of workshops and personalised advice sessions aimed at guiding start-ups through the process of setting up and running a business, or taking an existing business to the next level.

He said: “Everything I put together in my business plan over the past year, it was all very theoretical. “It’s a fantastic event for people that are starting from scratch. You’re trading in a very safe environment without committing too much money. It’s an opportunity to try things out and talk to people.” “I’m really enthused and positive about it.”

CHAIRS

Applications for the first round of workshops have now closed, however there will be entry points at various intervals in the programme for start-ups that want to get involved. To find out more visit www.successfulsutton.co.uk/popupsutton The next market will run on July 2 and 3, 10am-5pm.

For those of you who like to enjoy lunch outdoors then you will be pleased to know that the Enjoy Sutton deck chairs will be out on Trinity Square during July and August. The fun doesn’t stop there. Why not challenge a work colleague to a game of table tennis on our full size table, giant Jenga or the ever popular giant Connect 4. Make sure you share your photos as you could win a free lunch on us! Simply share and tag with #loveyourlunch @enjoysutton /enjoysutton /enjoysutton

EVENTS ROUNDUP ... SUTTON FARMERS’ AND ARTISAN MARKET Discover a wealth of organic and artisan foods at our new monthly market. The first Sutton Farmers and Artisan Market was held in April and with dozens of stalls selling organic produce, home made cakes, handmade soaps and toiletries and much more. The next market will be on the weekend of July 16 and 17 from 10am to 5pm.

SUTTON’S GOT TALENT Britain’s Got Talent star Wayne Woodward wowed the crowds with a live performance of some of his favourite songs ahead of the semi-finals of the show. The jazz singer entertained shoppers in the high street – and brought the sunshine with him too – on May 21. He also signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans.

EASTER FARM All creatures great and small were on the high street over the Easter weekend with the return of our pop-up farm. Visitors young and old were able to cuddle bunnies, chicks and guinea pigs and get up close to lambs, piglets and goats. There was also the chance to groom a miniature donkey and enjoy an Easter egg hunt.

Just two days later he clinched his place in the finals of the ITV talent show, where he was pipped to the title by magician Richard Jones.

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Back for 2016, are our award-winning history walks. Tour guide Chas Bailey will be leading the weekly tours as well as a fortnightly Sunday stroll through bygone Sutton. The free guided history walks will run every Thursday.

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This ‘Enjoy Sutton’ Sutton’s Busines event is brought to you by Succes s Improvement please visit sful Sutton, www.successfu District. For more information, lsutton.co.uk

SAVE THE DATE The 2016 Christmas lights switch-on will be on November 19th! Look out for announcements over the coming months about our headline act. In the meantime, if you want to be involved, would like to perform on the day or have any suggestions, contact marketing@successfulsutton.co.uk

CHILLI FEST It was the hottest event in town. Our chilli festival spiced up the high street on June 4 with producers selling a range of sauces, dips and marinades for shoppers to sample. Plus for those who braved the heat in the ChilliFace challenge – eating a spoonful of chilli sauce made from the world’s hottest chilli, the Carolina Reaper – there was always a chilli beer to wash it down.

A year after the launch of Develop Sutton, we take a look at the progress of the schemes that are shaping Sutton’s future.

Subsea 7

Sutton Point

Construction is nearing completion on engineering contractor Subsea 7’s new offices in Brighton Road.

A striking 22-storey tower will sit at the heart of CNM Estates’ redevelopment of Sutton’s South Point offices.

The £39million scheme will create 120,000 sq ft of office space, retaining 780 jobs in Sutton.

Construction workers moved on to the site last September to start ground work on the £90million development, which will include a mix of one, two and three-bedroom residential units as well as shops, restaurants, leisure, office space and a hotel.

Once completed Subsea 7 will be an environmentally sustainable building, generating its own power from a large photovoltaic solar farm on the roof.

Work is expected to be completed by mid-2018.

Times Square

Sutton Superbowl

Gas works

The redevelopment of Sutton’s largest shopping centre is in its final stages.

Premier Inn has acquired the former bowling alley in St Nicholas Way and has planning consent for a five-storey 127-bed hotel.

Emerging from the old gas holders site is LXB Properties’ development featuring a new Sainsbury’s supermarket. Work is on track to have the supermarket open by the end of the year.

Behind the hoardings, work continues to create a new entrance to Times Square, bigger shop units and two glazed shop fronts on the High Street, one of which has been taken by TK Maxx. Businesses including Pound World and PureGym have taken on outlets in the new-look mall.

Demolition works are planned for this year.

The £50million scheme also 186 residential units fronting on to High Street and Vale Road and a new public square surrounded by shops and restaurants.

The new tech we’ve introduced recognises the way people live their lives today

DIGITAL MAKEOVER FOR MCDONALD’S Touchscreens and tablets have been introduced as part of a hightech makeover of McDonald’s Sutton branch. The self-serve touchscreen kiosks allow customers to browse menus and check the nutritional information of each meal before ordering and paying for their burgers. Designated pick up areas have been introduced, while in the kitchens new layouts and increased technology means meals will be made specially to order for customers. To complete the digital transformation, free to use tablets have been installed at some tables for customers who want to check their newsfeed and emails or play the latest games.

Sutton franchisee Mike Smith started his career over 15 years ago and now runs 12 restaurants across south London, including Sutton High Street. His restaurants contribute £12.1million to the local economy and he employs over 1050 people. He said: “We’re thrilled with the transformation because we’re committed to offering our customers’ more choice with fast, innovative service. “Technology has a huge role to play in all walks of life, including our customers’ eating out experience, so the new tech we’ve introduced recognises the way people live their lives today. My team has responded really positively and they are enjoying the new ways of working.”

Quarterly newsletter 5 I June 2016

www.successfulsutton.co.uk

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NEWS IN BRIEF

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THE SEARCH IS ON TO FIND SUTTON’S BEST BUSINESSES The 2016 awards, organised by Successful Sutton and Sutton Chamber of Commerce, aim to recognise and reward innovation, achievement and commercial excellence within the business community. Ross Feeney, chief executive of Successful Sutton, said: “Each year the quality and breadth of entries increases. We have a diverse range of businesses in Sutton, which is a reflection of the talent and ambition within our borough. “Entering the awards is a fantastic way of raising the profile of your business and celebrating the hard work of your staff.

“This year’s awards are once again supported by our headline sponsor CNM Estates, which is behind the redevelopment of Sutton Point.”

Looking for office space? Or do you need a room to hold a meeting? At the Midtown Hub we offer affordable office space and facilities to support start-ups and growing businesses. Desk hire starts from as little as £5 an hour and includes free wifi.

Other sponsors include Mears, Riva Bingo and Everyone Active.

You can also hire our 18-seat meeting room on a pay-by-use basis, with discounted rates available for BID levypayers.

To find out more about the awards and how to enter visit www.suttonbusinessawards.com

To find out more visit www.midtownhub.co.uk or call 020 8643 9304.

Entering the awards is a fantastic way of raising the profile of your business

BID BREAKFAST & SOCIAL Our BID breakfast meeting proved a hit as we got to catch up with levypayers over a cuppa and a full English on April 7th. Thanks to hosting. Title Sponsor

Media Partner

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