Relaunched group hoping to put pride back into Scunthorpe and Ashby town centres

“Just get a nandos...sorted & something other than 5 poundlands/worlds/universes oh sorry and 99p shop. The key shops that attract people to shop at bigger places.
(in town centre)

Nandos
River Island
Jane Norman
Bank
Tk Max
Next
Ann Summers
(im copying what even grimsby has minus the nandos)

Get the right shops for the crowd you aim to attract.”

“TimothyIngbit

I meant to pass on some facts and figures and not to insult r grind as with anyone, so I apologif my previous came across i such a way. The landlords move with market forces, whereas the council moves with the wind in their Ivory Tower.

1 - We need a public toilet in a central and convenient location.
2 - We need to rid the High Street of unnecessary street furniture.
3 - We need to rid the High Street of Chuggers and that annoying Film trailer and the often rude people that work from it.
4 - We need the streets to be cleaned properly and not just in a cursory and lazy manner.
5 - We need to take a leaf out of the books that places like Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield use and provide high quality entertainment and events in places like Church Square in order to draw people in to the town.

If managed properly these things need not cost hardly any money at all, it just needs the right people to run-with-it and for them to encourage the key stakeholders in our town to back the plan.”

“Party animal.”

“If and when these shops start filling up again we will know that prices have reached a point the market will sustain. Incidentally, my post was not intended to demean the individuals concerned in this group. Apart from socialists, I have no axe to grind with any particular individuals.”

“by TimothyIngbit

Rents have come down by an average of 50%, not so much in the private areas like the top end of the High Street, but certainly in the locations like The Foundry and The Parishes. As for Rates, well, they are revalued every 5 years with the next valuation taking place in 2013 and these are largely based upon the rents that businesses are paying. The Rates are usually set at about 45% of the rental amount.

I wish Mr Hayes and and all the other businesses that take part the best of luck. What many people will never accept is that most of these things are done at great expense tothe individuals taking part and not, as many would like to believe, at a cost to the tax payer.”

“Everyone knows what the real problem is regarding Scunthorpe town centre because we have been over the issue time and time again. Rents and taxes are too high to allow any of these retail properties to attain viability bearing in mind all the competition and surplus retail floorspace that exists at present. Rents and rates must be adjusted downward in line with the new reality of market conditions, but there exists a collective delusion among landlords and local politicos that do not wish to face this new reality. The market will enforce its discipline all the same over time, although it may require a 100% vacancy rate to do it!”

“Times and attitudes have changed. Years ago people used to catch the bus and spend a few hours shopping in the town centre. It wasn't that pretty but it was all they had.
Now they jump in the car, go to the nearest retail park, do the shopping as cheaply and quickly as possible, fill the car with the cheapest available fuel and go home. They do their banking on line. This way they do not have to visit the town centre, pay parking charges or put up with young mothers "effing and blinding" in front of their toddlers as they push them along or drunks and beggars etc. It's all done to avoid trouble.There is no pride. It's a shame but that's how it is.
I wish you luck and I hope you can prove me wrong.”

“Sister_Wendy your solution is far too easy and makes far too much sense .They could of done similar when designing the Parishes , but no and look what we have . I can't help but ask where do council actually live and who do they represent ? The council soon ask for opinion when unpopular cuts are needed through NLC web site ,so as to off load the blame onto the electorate for their decision . Yet when it comes to input for the towns future they seems totaly at odds and do as they think fit and ignore the electorate .”

“"I remember in the 1950's, there was a lovely chair at Britannia Corner"
"Ooh, yes, let's have a chair"
"Right, we'll need to select a Chair sub-committee"
"And someone to Chair the Chair sub-committee, and a Vice Chair"
"How much will it cost?"
"We'd better have a Finance sub-committee of the Chair sub-committee to investigate and report back"

And on, and on, and on.......

Then, when the Town Centre is still a mess and the local elections come round, Liz can blame it on the Town Team.



We need a group of experts from successful northern towns to come here and tell us what we need to do. We also need a Council who's average age isn't over 70.”

“If they do get back ? I hope they will end and put that embarrassment of a so called European market that i went to out of its misery . I hope the council do not subsidise it ,because if they do then this is another chance for them to get rid of a folly that only shows the town up.”