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Taunton
Town
Centre
Partnership
Press Releases !
Press releases can be found here in this
section of our website.
When wishes
become reality
Traders in Taunton town centre would like to see more
street entertainment and events, more pedestrian
crossings, and more public art.
They also have a number of car parking and traffic
congestion issues.
That’s part of the initial feedback from a survey
undertaken as a first step in the Taunton BID process,
by planning consultancy Nathaniel Lichfield and
Partners, on behalf of the Department for Communities
and Local Government (DCLG).
The telephone survey of 53 businesses is used as a basic
assessment, repeated 18 months later, as a way of
monitoring businesses’ attitudes to their trading
environment.
It can also be a rough guide to help start the ball
rolling for businesses trying to decide what
improvements they want for the town centre, if they vote
in favour of becoming a Business Improvement District
(BID).
It is their choice alone what improvements are chosen,
and these can range widely from the practical to the
entertaining.
“I’m already asking town centre traders I talk with, to
start making a wish list. With enough interest and
enthusiasm, those wishes could become reality,” said
Lucy Ball.
While public art and street entertainment were
highlighted in the survey, and the car parking and
traffic problems will be dealt with in major road and
town centre schemes, other wish list possibilities could
include:
- extra marketing
- more festive events
- extra street cleaning
- advertising
- more policing
- improved signing
- night-time taxi wardens
“We may not achieve each and every wish,
but by working together as a BID we could certainly help
the town centre thrive,” said Lucy.
Visit Taunton
Bid website click here
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Ready for the off
- Taunton BID launch
October sees the launch of BID Taunton, a
forward-looking, exciting possibility for the town’s
central businesses and its regeneration as a whole. The
Taunton Town Centre Company explains on this page the
opportunities that lie ahead.
Nearly 800 businesses in central Taunton are being
invited to a launch evening on October 9 to find out all
about becoming a Business Improvement District (BID).
The Taunton Town Centre Company, which is leading the
BID Taunton move, is holding the event at the Brewhouse
theatre, to explain how it could be a great boost for
traders and the town.
“We want Taunton to be the very best as a shopping and
leisure destination and this event will really spell out
the potential for everyone in becoming a BID,” said town
centre manager Lucy Ball.
BIDs are a government initiative to encourage businesses
to regenerate their trading environments by working
together, in ways they decide themselves.
Taunton is the first town in the South West and one of
only 20 in the country in the latest round of those
going for BID status, under the Department for Community
and Local Government’s (DCLG) guidance. This follows a
successful national pilot scheme.
Businesses vote to become a BID, work together to choose
improvements, and through a small levy with additional
funds from elsewhere, turn their wish lists into reality
– from extra marketing and festive events, to additional
cleaning and security.
Invitations to the launch evening have gone out to 770
businesses in the town centre to attend the presentation
and buffet.
Speakers will explain exactly how BIDs work, share
experiences from among the 28 towns and cities who have
already gone through the process, and hold discussion
sessions to help traders clarify how becoming a BID
could benefit them.
“This is a very exciting initiative and we hope as many
businesses as possible will respond, to find out how BID
Taunton could really add value to their bottom line –
and the town as a whole, “ said Lucy Ball.
“Big and small traders have been invited and the chains
are most welcome to bring along regional managers. We
expect some traders may like to consider becoming BID
champions themselves.”
The launch follows a mail-out of over 700 brochures to
town centre businesses, explaining what the BID is all
about. They will vote on Taunton becoming a BID in July
next year.
For further information please contact Lucy Ball on
01823 354299, visit the BID section under Business at
www.tauntontowncentre.co.uk/tauntonbid.htm
or look at
www.ukbids.org
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Taunton Brings
back the Treasure
Taunton won two GOLD awards and the TESCO cup in the
large town/ small city category at the Regional Britain
in Bloom Awards at Torquay last Thursday. In addition
three areas of the town were singled out for special
Neighbourhood awards – Taunton Station, Victoria Park
and Kingston Road Allotments where the judges were
impressed by the levels of community co-operation.
The GOLD award was hard won, as the categories changed
this year and Taunton was in the same group as Bath,
winners of their group for many years and previous
National champions.
The competition is no longer just about floral displays,
but the judges also want to see that the community is
involved, that green issues are at the heart of the
campaign and that businesses are playing their part in
helping to ensure that our towns are looking at their
best.
McDonalds Drive Thru at Hankridge has been proactively
involved in this year’s campaign. They have looked after
the wildlife site near their site as well as carrying
out extensive litter picking in and around their
restaurant. Trull and St Georges schools have been
promoting the green message to their pupils and have
entered the schools’ competitions. In addition new
hanging baskets with water reservoirs have been
installed this year to decrease watering and diesel
‘Our army of Taunton in Bloom volunteers and Shaun
Cregan our Co-ordinator have worked so hard on the
Committee to ensure that the town looks at its best, not
just at judging time, but throughout the year, they
heartily deserve this prize’ said Lucy Ball Chairman of
Taunton in Bloom.
Contact Lucy Ball Chairman TiB
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Town
Talk
After the languor of the summer holiday there always
seems to be a sense of renewed energy and optimism at
this time of year, as we go back to work reinvigorated
by the break.
This year Taunton as a town reflects that vigour as
never before. There is a huge amount of really positive
activity going on in the town - physical improvements,
awards won and exciting projects to move Taunton forward
to the end of this year and into the next.
The Town Centre Company is very much at the heart of it
all. This month we are installing permanent LED lights
wrapped around the boughs of the street trees. We will
switch them on at Christmastime and for other key
festive events in the town calendar, in true European
style.
Earlier this month Taunton collected the Regional
Britain in Bloom trophy and a Gold award for the
excellent quality of our floral displays and the hard
work of the Taunton in Bloom committee.
Plans are going ahead for an even bigger and better real
Ice Rink. Last year it attracted 12,500 users. This year
we hope it will attract many more, not only to enjoy the
skating but also to choose Taunton for Christmas
shopping.
The County Museum is about to submit a major bid to the
Heritage Lottery Fund to completely refurbish and
regenerate this wonderful asset in the heart of the town
and make it a leader in its field.
In addition the massive regeneration programme for the
Firepool site is gathering momentum, and agents and
developers are gathering in the wings to bring forward
other schemes that will transform Taunton over the
coming decade.
Finally, early in October, The Town Centre Company is
launching a major scheme to significantly add value to
and improve the town centre.
The Taunton Business Improvement District (BID) is all
about local businesses deciding what they feel we need
to do to make the town an even more attractive
environment for customers, which in turn will help their
trading performance.
All these initiatives and achievements can only herald
the start of bigger and better things for Taunton.
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Taunton is a
safe
place to do business and to shop.
That is the
official verdict of Action Against Business Crime when
it awarded the town The Safer Business Award.
 Last
week the town centre security organisation, TRAC
(Taunton Retailers Against Crime) was assessed by AABC
so see how effective it is in combating and reducing
business crime in Taunton. Crimes include shoplifting,
fraud, antisocial behaviour, and mutual business
support.
“The Safer Business
Award is backed by the Home Office. It is very
stringent and has taken many months for Taunton to
achieve. TRAC has an excellent record for reducing
crime in Taunton and is greatly appreciated and
respected by the Police as a key component in the
reduction and prevention of crime in Taunton. We are
very proud to have been part of the team that achieved
this accolade and endorsement for the town and we
congratulate Jason King the Co-ordinator and his
committee on this award” said Inspector Mike Ashwin.
Town Centre manager
Lucy Ball said “TRAC has been is existence for over 10
years, it is a highly effective partnership between the
town’s retailers, the Police, Taunton Deane Borough
Council and the Town Centre Partnership. Through its
effective radio systems linked to CCTV and the Police
levels of crime have been reduced considerably, and
criminals know that if they to come to Taunton there is
a high risk that they will be arrested. Gaining this
certificate for the town is a great endorsement for what
TRAC has achieved, we need to expand and develop the
scheme from here to ensure that the whole town benefits
from this scheme and Taunton remains a safe and
attractive town to live work and do business.”
The assessor,
Richard Barron, commented ‘TRAC is a well structured
and disciplined partnership with extremely good
relationships with all key stake holders, particularly
the Police and Local Authority. TRAC will undoubtedly go
from strength to strength and take a pivotal role in
crime reduction in the County’
There will be a
presentation event later in the year to celebrate this
achievement
ENDS
Contact Lucy Ball 01823 354299
Jason King 0781 2560907
Sgt N Frewin 01823 366000
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Taunton
Swimming Pool & James Street Poll
