General Discussion
Have just sent the link above to various key people asking if Dawlish could be entered.
I'll keep you informed of any response that I get.
It shows these are desperate times when we have to resort to gambling to try and get some funding to regenerate the Town, but since it has got to this state here in Dawlish, we may as well have a go anyway.
No harm in trying but I think it will most probably be somewhere like Exeter/Torquay etc not a very small town like Dawlish
I heard today that BIts n Bobs is closing, can anyone confirm this. If so that will be three businesses closed down in the Strand in the last two weeks.
Years of talking, talking, talking and more talking have achieved nothing.
There is no reason for any major retailers to set up shop in Dawlish and without such 'drawcards' the so called regeneration is a lost cause.
I am guessing the 'average' local can probably buy 20% of what they need in a month in Dawlish, so how can anyone expect people to shop here.
Why did all the main shops close down?? not enough parking so therefore not enough customers.
Why is Sainsburys so popular and busy, most locals can buy 95% of what they need there and there's lots of nearby parking.
Time to face reality, develop the 'Sainburys' area, that's where everybody goes 'cos that's where they can park and buy what they need.
Here is another link about this.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/regeneration/2082143
If you look towards the bottom where it says Notes to Editors you can see that the scheme is open to all sizes and locations of communities - cities to villages - including coastal towns.
Dawlish does have a plan - sort of - what with the future of the Strand being decided in the next few days and the Amberline Coast proposals. And, the town centre has been negatively impacted by a certain out of town store has it not?
What is there to lose by entering?
But that tight deadline (30th March 2012 for applications) applies to everywhere not just Dawlish.
I just feel that if the motivation is there (by the local powers that be as well as the likes of me and you) then the time and energy could be found for an application to be submitted by that tight deadline.
Anyone know of any amateur film/video makers?
Given the tight deadline someone needs to pick up and lead this now.
According to the article: "12 successful localities will create Town Teams, made up of the key players in their local community - such as the council, local landlords, shopkeepers and the local MP". So all these need to buy in to the idea and be part of the pitch.
The MP seems to be the best place to start - without her support I'm guessing that we wouldn't stand a chance.
MP has been copied into all my e-mails. So I imagine she is aware of this scheme come competition (and if she wasn't, she is now!).
Have now been told by a Dawlish district councillor that TDC have been alerted.
I mentioned above the Amberline Coast Dawlish Regeneration Proposals. For those interested you should find a link to these via the Dawlish Town Council website.
Suggest lobbying of MP, and local councillors wouldn't go amiss by those who think "Hey, Let's give this a go".
They are probably sick to death of hearing from me.........
Here's a suggested list of who to lobby.
Our MP - Anne-Marie Morris annemarie.morris.mp@parliament.uk
Leader of Teignbridge District Council - Cllr Jeremy Christophers - jeremy.christophers@teignbridge.gov.uk
TDC Portfolio Holder for Housing and Planning - Cllr Philip Vogel - philip.vogel@teignbridge.gov.uk
Teignbridge District Councillor for Dawlish, Rosalind Prowse - Rosalind holds the brief for matters concerning the regeneration of Dawlish Rosalind.Prowse@teignbridge.gov.uk
Oh and it might be an idea to keep David Force and Bob Vickery in the loop as well given as they are respectively Chair of Dawlish Chamber of Trade and Chair of Dawlish Town Council Planning Committee. I do have e-mail addresses for them but as I can't find either of those addresses publicly listed I'm not going to put them here. However, I am sure e-mails to David c/o his workplace and to Bob c/o Dawlish Town Hall will be forwarded on.
Right then - so as it seems that the 'powers that be' are taking an interest here's how we can help things along.
One of the criteria for submitting a bid to be a Portas Pilot is for the bid to contain innovative ideas as to how the town centre could be revitalised and.........for those ideas to be such that they could be replicated in other places.
Tall order? Phew! I should say so. Haven't we already had discussion after discussion as to how to resolve the problem of Dawlish town centre?
Still, let's not let that put us off eh? Just need to put our creative, lateral thinking hats on. No probs(!)
To innovate = to introduce as something new: to introduce novelties: to make changes
Thinking caps on then!
Hows about in the first instance asking ourselves what it is that would be needed to make each one of us go into Dawlish town centre more often. For example here's an off the top of my head analysis of my situation.
1. Distance from the town centre shops. I live about a 20/25 minute walk from the town centre. Not a problem when the weather is nice - hell to do when it is raining, cold etc. Therefore I don't very often do it. Shops in the Strand are not my nearest shops - those on Exeter Road are. I walk to the ones on Exeter Road - use them to do my 'top up' shopping. Use Sainsbury's for main shop (always used a supermarket in NA before Sainsbury's opened here so the only way my shopping habits have altered is that instead of having to hike all the way to NA to do main shop it is now a mere 5 minute drive to/from the supermarket). Supermarket has free parking - free parking is also needed in town centre. I have a car (which I drive very infrequently as I like to either walk or use public transport as first preferences) and like many I am watching my pennies right now. So.......if I know that taking the car means that I will have to pay car parking charges I usually decide not to bother going to wherever it was I thinking about going to. Like, sometimes, going into Dawlish town centre.
2. Facilities in town centre. So, car parking charges and awful weather to one side, once I get to Dawlish town centre what is there for me? I guess the library draws some people in (but not me). I make a point of going in once a month for the Local Produce Market (what happened to it last Friday by the way?) and whilst there will pop into the shops (including the charity ones - especially the charity ones in fact - never know what you are going to find). But what else is there for me? I rarely go into any of the cafes as, like I said, I'm watching the pennies right now. Doesn't the town need some facilties of some kind that would act as a magnet? Need to think of tourists as well as residents.
3. Unique Selling Point. If Dawlish can't compete with Sainsbury's on its outskirts and Teignmouth just down the road when it comes to retailing then it needs to recognise this and carve out an identity of its own. See The Amberscoast Regeneration Proposals for one way Dawlish could carve out a USP for itself.
PS: As well as the Amberline Coast Regeneration Study there was also an earlier report commissioned in 2007/8 by Dawlish Community Trust which concentrated solely on the regeneration of the town centre (as opposed to parish and surrounding areas which the Amberline Coast Regeneration Study is concerned with).
This link should take you to the Yellowbook/Dawlish Community Trust 2008 Dawlish Town Centre Masterplan.http://www.dawlishcommunitytrust.org.uk/masterplan/default.asp
Had e-mail back from Anne-Marie Morris who said that she had told TDC about this competition before it was officially announced so they've had plenty of warning. Interesting though that there's been no local publicity about it which suggests perhaps that TDC haven't done very much.
With thinking cap on, what does Dawlish need?
Sad to say, I tend to do much more in Teignmouth than Dawlish. Why?
1. Parking - there is a reasonable amount of free (time-limited) on-street parking; or COOP will pay your parking (upto 2 hours) in their car park if you spend more than £5.
2. My bank is there - there are more banking facilities in Teignmouth than Dawlish anyway.
3. Wider range of good local shops
4. As a "meeting place" with friends it has a good range of cheapish cafes and nice seating environments in good weather
5. Attractions like the TAAG centre which was set up with lottery funding - regular art exhibitions and courses
In general Teignmouth is more "lively". It hasn't always been like that but it has made the effort to regenerate, to make some investment in its history as an attraction (e.g. the heritage trail), to gain investment for new ideas (such as TAAG centre), to rejuvenate its centre (around triangle), to promote itself with festivals (jazz, folk, science). This has all taken time so change won't occur in Dawlish overnight - but it does need a group with vision to get the ideas going. I'm not sure if Dawlish Council has that vision or not. If not, can it be achieved by a group of like-minded people with a common vision?
Isn't Teignmouth scheduled to be graced with an out of town supermarket sometime in the non too distant future? (Morrisons I think it is at Broadmeadow).
Will be interesting to see the impact on Teignmouth town shops when that happens but even more interesting to see the impact on the co-op (both stores).
Yes Morrisons is on its way. I'm hoping it won't have same impact as Sainsburys on Dawlish. Getting through Teignmouth to Broadmeadow can frequently be quite a traffic ordeal - easier to get to Sainsbury's for any bulk shopping.
For info: this link should give you the recommendations found in the Portas report which suggests ways of how high streets and town centres can be revived.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/dec/13/mary-portas-report-recommendations
I particularly like number 23 which talks of a public register of high street landlords. Would be very interesting to know who owns what in Dawlish Town Centre (and the rents they charge).
from today's Gazette:
Bid for slice of £1m
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
by Ellen Grindley
HOPES are high that Dawlish can win help for its struggling town centre traders from retail guru Mary Portas.
A bid is being prepared for a slice of £1 million government cash funding and traders believe the town has a good case to be chosen as one of 12 Portas Pilot towns.
Launched by local government minister Grant Shapps and Mary Portas, the initiative is inviting towns to apply for up to £100,000 each to plough into town centres to reverse their ailing fortunes.
Teignbridge Council has confirmed that Tony Watson, economic regeneration service manager, has already started looking at the bidding process.
Chairman of Dawlish Chamber of Trade David Force welcomed the move.
He said: ‘Dawlish is very deserving of this money. We have been neglected for many years and the town centre shops are seriously threatened since Sainsbury’s has opened
I thought better of David Force than for him to blame Sainsburys for town's ills! Those posts on here listing all those shops that have closed down over the last 20 to 30 years say it all - these businesses gave up the ghost well before Sainsburys Dawlish was conceived. How about rallying the troops into action Mr Force, rather than hackneyed cliches? Unless of course you were mis-quoted, in which case, love you man! :-)
Good letter Lynnealso in addition to what you have put above pge6 today Cash pot for coast towns makes good reading
Nelson please forgive me but I thought you said you were new to Dawlish, but your postings suggest otherwise
As I understand it the greatest 'commerical benefits' that Charity shops receive are free stock and free labour. Rent paid is often the 'commercial' rate or very close to it.
Labour costs are usually the highest expense of any business so we need a law to make voluntary work illegal, I don't think that's very likely, many schools and hospitals rely on volunteers to make some services viable.
Small businesses receive a 50% reduction in council Rates, a charity shop gets 80%, a slight advantage there, then how would we address the 'problem' of charity shops receiving free stock, who would decide what they had to pay for it??
If we them put charity shops on the same commercial footing as any other business then the shops would be empty, so what exactly would be the point?.
Most landlords and certainly most councils would prefer premises were occupied by 'commercial' ventures to increase their income, that is why most of them are on a month to month lease so the landlord can re-let the premises very quickly to a 'proper' shop, a charity shop is no obstacle to anyone who wishes to rent the premise for any other reason.
Charity shops are not preventing any business person from taking the shop on a commercial lease but charities are the only businesses that want the premises, either that or they stay empty.
There's a letter in this week's Gazette from David Force asking for ideas to be sent to him as to how the town centre can be improved - specifically ideas concerning the Brook and the Lawn.
Work on this area is due to start in September apparently so he would like ideas sent to him superfast.
David Force, 9 Queen Street, Dawlish EX79HB
Having now read the Gazette for myself, I take back my original comment about David Force. Clearly he's taking action and not just conplaining, unlike some I could mention. It was nice to read that he has used a lot of the same wording as I have to describe the most expensive pavement in England!
David Force is doing an excellent job in driving the chamber of trade forward. The chamber in trade, in turn, is doing its best to promote Dawlish in every way it can, to the benefit of the town. After all the more people that are driven here to live/visit/holiday then the local economy can only profit. The more positive the townsfolk are, the better Dawlish will become.