TRADERS in Colchester are trying to raise £80,000 to hire a town centre manager.

Bosses at Williams and Griffin, Kent Blaxill, the Mercury Theatre and town shopping centres, including Culver Square and Lion Walk, formed a Community Interest Company in September, called Colchester Presents.

The voluntary group revealed it needs to raise at least £80,000 a year, and £240,000 over three years, all contributed by businesses to achieve its wishlist.

The wishlist, based on a survey of town centre businesses in 2014 includes: 

- Hiring a town centre manager by the end of this year. The manager would act as a point of contact for businesses and lead on initiatives

- Creating a town centre newsletter

- Improving the condition of alleys leading to the High Street

- Introducing free parking after 3pm for late night shopping and Christmas shopping events, all to be achieved this year 

- The group is also hoping to fund a review into streetlight switch-off times, maintenance of pavements and a buying a new “hot washer” to keep streets clean

- Long-term goals include a review of park and ride bus stops, enhancing the town’s WiFi provision and improving events to attract visitors.

The group, which has £20,000 in the kitty, invited business owners to a meeting at Lion Walk Church on Monday.

Carl Milton, company director and managing director of Williams and Griffin, said: “The main project is to recruit a town centre manager.

“We are looking at a salaried post and starting a pot of money so they can start instigating some events and opening communication channels.

“We would like to consult with investors about what we think is a reasonable sum.”

“If we don’t achieve any further investment, 85 per cent of our objectives won’t happen in 2016.”

Dave Robertson, a director of Colchester Presents and manager of Culver Square shopping centre, said: “It’s still early days and there’s lots of things to talk about but before we develop this, we need to make sure there’s an appetite.

“If we get the funding, we can give the manager an office and a website.”

Adrian Pritchard, chief executive of Colchester Council, said: “We will do whatever we can to make sure this is a success.

“We are committed to the town centre. Without a successful town centre, we don’t have a successful borough.

“But it’s got to be business-driven.”

Colchester Presents organised the Halloween lights show and Christmas lights switch-on in the High Street last year.

 

DOZENS of independent Colchester traders and managers of chain stores, including McDonald’s and Marks and Spencer, had their say after hearing the proposals on Monday.

Nicholas Charrington, owner of Tymperleys tea room in Trinity Street, said: “We would certainly support what has been put forward.

“We need to be offering more than just plain shopping, be that with cafes and restaurants.

“It’s a competitive world and we have got to stop people going to Ipswich, Chelmsford, Bury, Lakeside or Westfield. We need to look at the overall Colchester offer.”

Steve Mannix, a director of Colchester Presents who runs the Mercury Theatre in Balkerne Gate, said: “Our audiences spend £6.5million in the town each year.

“We can’t exist without all of you building that overall offer that people come to Colchester for.”

Craig Newnes, franchisee of Colchester’s four McDonald’s, said: “I’ll definitely be keen to support a town centre manager. Communication is the biggest opportunity for getting everything coming into one.

“A town centre manager would be a fantastic investment, as long as they are the priority.”

Alan Moorcroft, owner of Baccus clothes shop in Sir Isaac’s Walk, said: “I like the idea. We need a town centre manager and as a small business, I would certainly support it.

“But what about office costs and where would they be based?”

Martin Averre, who runs Ace Comics in Culver Street East and helped set up the Invasion Colchester event, pledged £500 to the cause.

He said: “I’ve been in the town 35 years and I’m fully supportive of the Community Interest Company.

“I was fully supportive of the Business Improvement District, but the reason there was such a poor take-up was the board of directors wasn’t held in very great esteem.

“The people here are 100 per cent better.

“I was desperate to drive people to my store and with help from Red Lion Walk and Culver Square, we have achieved something remarkable and brought in tens of thousands of people.”

Jackie Norbury, manager of Marks and Spencer in High Street, said: “Our company backs the Business Improvement District and doesn’t invest in any other schemes.

“It’s BID or nothing.”

An attempt to set up a Business Improvement District in Colchester was defeated in 2007.

If businesses in the district’s area within a certain rateable value had voted to accept the scheme, they would have paid a charge towards projects.