Agenda item

Mr Everall, former Director, Northampton BID

Mr Everall was both an independent business owner and a former director of Northampton BID.  His responses to the core questions were contained in the agenda and he gave a detailed overview of his comments, as summarised below.

• Mr Everall believed that developing Northampton as a market town was the key to its growth, and that it was unlikely there would be many new shops coming into the town centre, particularly as he could not see the economic downturn improving within the next five years.  He suggested encouraging village groups to come into the town centre to put on community events and sell items on the market.
• He suggested developing small business units in the town centre and on the Kettering and Wellingborough Roads.
• Keeping traffic moving in the town centre and managing noise and pollution from traffic would be helpful to businesses.
• Mr Everall supported Mr Chown’s comments about “elephants in the room” (made at minute 5a above).  Car parking numbers had increased but income had fallen.  Business rates were ever increasing and the impact of this was made worse for business when car parking charges were increased.  Cleanliness was also an issue in much of the town, particularly in the stairwells of many of the car parks, especially the Mayorhold and Grosvenor Centre.  Localised car parking was an issue which he suggested should be investigated.
• Many of the issues related to housekeeping – where cleaning, maintenance and upkeep could be improved – and people’s perceptions.  People wanted to come into an environment which they considered to be safe, clean and welcoming.  There was scope for improving how things were done in these areas and in continuing cleanliness and anti-social behaviour campaigns on an on-going basis.
• The internet was here to stay and was out of the control of shops and businesses.  Customers would decide how much they spent on items and where.  
• Many of the town centre services tended to be reactive rather than proactive and there was room for some improvement in that area and also in terms of communication.
• Channels of communication between the Borough Council and the business community had improved over the last year and this was welcomed.

Mr Everall then answered questions form members of the panel as summarised below:

• He considered that people wanted to visit and spend time in a pleasant and attractive environment, such as in Olney or Market Harborough, and this was the route Northampton should consider, through developing the strengths of the traditional market here.
• Town centres should be cultural and leisure experiences as well as a retail one.  There were opportunities for Northampton to make use of the market square, which was one of the largest in Europe and to make more of residential opportunities in the town centre.
• The loss of Barclaycard and other employers in the town centre had adversely affected the viability of the town centre.
• Car parking issues and charges meant that many people who had previously travelled into the town centre from other towns now no longer did so.  There were also issues regarding car parking charges, enforcement and the issuing of penalty tickets which Mr Everall felt should be reviewed.
• Issues regarding safety, anti-social behaviour and alcohol fuelled behaviour also needed to be addressed on an on-going basis to allay people’s perceptions of the town centre.

Mr Everall was thanked by the Panel for his presentation and for answering their questions.

Councillor Stone enquired about the possibility of having hotels and conference facilities around the edge of the town centre to encourage greater use of the town centre.