Economic Development Appendix 2 Economic Development Project Manager

Economic Development Appendix 2 Economic Development Project Manager - 2013/2014 Projects Vision and Role © Bishop’s Stortford Town Council

EDPM 2013/14 Projects – Appendix 2 n 50: 50 funded with EHDC (20 hrs/ week) n Encourage & support investment opportunities , retail and other n n n Support Bishop’s Stortford Chamber of Commerce n n Respond to enquiries, signpost, match make, support Produce quarterly retail vacancy rates and use class statistics Operate Bishop’s Stortford Radio Link Operate Drab to Fab = display material for selected empty shops Priorities as directed by Chamber 100% BSTC funded (12 hrs/week) n Town Centre Events n n Carnival Remembrance Christmas Lights Management of let Offices on 2 nd floor © Bishop’s Stortford Town Council

Responding to Enquiries n Sources n n n Corporate head office, property teams, Landlords/Property Managers, National Commercial Agents Local Businesses Referrals from HCC, EHDC, ATCM, Members, national registers Method of enquiry n 90% Email, 10% Telephone Types of enquiry Action Enquiries/yr Licencing, Rates, Parking, Planning etc. Signpost to EHDC or HCC 350 Property/site requirements Enter into register, send details of matches, review periodically 100 Area/Head Office – enter or exit Bishop’s Stortford? Answer questions & source supporting info 20 Seeking free or peppercorn pop up space Forward qualified requests to agents/landlords, or suggest market stall 30 Rent review advice Provide comparators or negotiation tips 5 Total 505

Town Centre Vacancy n n n Survey and produce quarterly retail vacancy rates Fed into Regional and National Springboard figures Maintain a Requirements register © Bishop’s Stortford Town Council

Drab to Fab – Empty units project n Concept n n Funding n n Exterior window graphics Static internal displays Facilitating pop-up opportunities (currently three) Constraints n n External grants, Radio link income, private sector contributions Mechanics n n Improve the appearance of empty premises, whilst seeking occupiers Officer time Funding Time to liaise between Owner, property management team and commercial agents Future Developments n n n Setting up a property ownership database Increasing the number of units that are included in the project - streamlining process Organizing a diary of small events to increase footfall in void areas Sourcing/creating a grant scheme for pop-up users Producing a guide for pop-up operators © Bishop’s Stortford Town Council

Bishop’s Stortford Town Business Radio Link n n 60 members Information sharing and advance warning system to reduce business crime Analogue -> digital upgrade under investigation Generates £ 2000 per year - used to fund empty premises project © Bishop’s Stortford Town Council

Chamber of Commerce support priorities directed by Chamber n Chamber Value analysis n n Membership rates and benefits comparison survey with Chamber of commerce organizations in other areas Supporting Business Stortford n Overview n n EDPM Role n n n Representing the Chamber and creating proposals in negotiations to merge in Hockerill traders and Bishop’s Stortford Retail Association WW 1 Business Trail n n n Funds in place to complete the launch of the new website and to operate until April 2014 Minimum £ 5, 000 per annum plus Chamber staff hour (to be quantified) required to sustain thereafter Funding sources being researched Negotiating mergers n n Establish the viability and sustainability of a support structure for Business Stortford and implement or exit the Business Stortford project accordingly. Establishing ambassadors scheme which will be headed up by Mark Prisk MP Complete update of website content Assessment of viability n n Chamber of Commerce project, LEP funded Initiated by BSTC in 2011 following Town Plan Survey Encourages inward investment to create (target) 1000 jobs Research/create ideas to operate a Business related Town Trail, seeking funding Commemorates WW 1 centenary, based on smartphone app Swot Analysis n of Bishop’s Stortford as a town for business, for Chamber and EHDC © Bishop’s Stortford Town Council

Economic Development Our Vision and Role? © Bishop’s Stortford Town Council

Economic Development - The Players n Hertfordshire Local Enterprise partnership n n Hertfordshire County Council n n Runs market, dabbles in tourism, co-funds Economic Development project manager, various project activities Chamber of Commerce, Retail Partnership n n Projects: “Stimulating enterprise”, “Low Carbon Economy”, “Stepping Stones” (Developing a skilled workforce), Infrastructure improvements, Inward investment projects (through the LEP) East Herts District Council n n Government’s chosen growth engine Priorities currently unlikely to benefit Bishop’s Stortford significantly Currently competing for funding 2015 onwards Business. Stortford initiative - stimulating inward investment Support to members, Networking events Lobbying Our role and focus? © Bishop’s Stortford Town Council

District Councils - Example activities n East Herts District Council n n Wychavon Council n n Managed £ 2. 8 million fund to stimulate the economy, over 60 projects commissioned. Local shopping campaign drawing in private sector investment of £ 2. 9 million Wyfe Forest District Council n n led major retail development: department store, M&S, Sainsbury’s, 54 retail units, civic square, restaurants and cafes, cinema complex, bowling rink, new library & bus terminal, 48 residential units. Assisted with the creation of a BID, Shopper numbers have increased and 2, 200 jobs created. Calderdale n n JV with Waitrose to acquire land build a supermarket in a previously run-down high street. Wycombe District Council n n Employment Land Studies, SME’s mentoring work, Markets , Local Economy Audit, Tourism, East Herts Learners Forum, My Incubator Project (Ware), Deliver LSP projects (eg Get Britain Working), Deliver the Eastern Plateau Rural Development Project, Industrial Estates projects, Development of high Value jobs £ 12, 000 spent to bringing 10 empty shops back into use through business rate discounts. Bicester n Partnership to provide two free hours parking (50/50 funded with Sainsburys) © Bishop’s Stortford Town Council

Town/Parish Councils – Example Economic development activities n n 90 out of 353 ‘larger’ councils engaged: Scope, content and definition varies widely BSTC (principal activities) n n Devizes n n 86 K for Town Centre manager and BID support Hailsham n n 20 K for CCTV Falmouth n n Co-fund EDPM (22 K), CCTV(22 K), Christmas lights(14 K), Carnival(11 K), Toilets(25 K), ‘In Bloom’ (6 k), Empty Shops project 27 K for town regeneration/business enterprise Hatfield n Match-fund Town Centre Coordinator n Houghton Regis, Litchfield n Woodley n n n 12 K to support Town Centre Manager Sawbridgeworth n n Staff time only fund 1 hr free parking, Christmas lights & switch on Frome – very active n n Economic Development & Regeneration Manager, Town Team & Economic Development Plan, Business Networking, Welcome pack for investors & new residents, Empty shops project, Skills training workshops, Business start up training/support. Shop local app Christmas Lights & switch on (22. 5 k), other events (15. 5 k) , Newsletters (£ 3. 5 K), Economic Research (10 k) Keep Frome Clean © Bishop’s Stortford Town Council

Questions n n n What is our vision for the economic development of the Town? What is our role in the context of the other players? How do we avoid trying (and failing) to be ‘all things to all people’? © Bishop’s Stortford Town Council

Backup © Bishop’s Stortford Town Council

Economic Development Project Manager – Recent History n Origins n n n Transition n n n ‘Town Centre manager’ role jointly sponsored by EHDC and BSTC (nominally £ 10, 000 = 10 hrs/week each) Combined with BSTC-only role focused on event organization (principally Carnival, Remembrance & management of let offices) 2009 -2011 - Role became increasingly unsatisfactory – “all things to all people” Town Centre Partnership placing challenging demands Role of chair of TCP became inappropriate and impossible to manage 2011 – By agreement with EHDC chair vacated, role redefined, links with TCP redefined Initial adverse reaction from TCP, relationship now improved Current n n Role free to move with business needs Reviewed annually between BSTC and EHDC © Bishop’s Stortford Town Council

How the Town is Perceived n EHDC “in transition” n n n n Wessex Economics – “town faces two challenges” n n n accommodating the potential for growth without sacrificing quality of life provision of modern business space for employers in the right location Regeneris/ Hertfordshire Employment Sites Study “potential at risk” n n A minor sub-regional centre, major change underway through re-development of sites Traditional market town becoming a larger settlement /greater significance Close to Stansted, positioned for airport-related activities/visitor services attractive place to visit employment land & premises a key challenge, critical to identify sufficient space Marketing and Inward Investment important for competitiveness opportunity to extend evening economy/link to an emerging cultural quarter opportunities related to Stansted airport – possible sub-regional business area but no suitable sites, few vacancies Future site locations unclear – significant risk town’s potential cannot be realised Common message: Town has potential to grow economically but: n n We don’t have the employment sites We don’t have a clear picture where they will go © Bishop’s Stortford Town Council

Town Centre External View n The retail environment n n n Number of independents retailers is considered good Number of multiples rather average. Range of shops not especially good, quality average. Car parking facilities inadequate Town pedestrian-friendly, attractive and clean. Overall: average n n n The wider town centre offering n n retention of local expenditure extremely good not a major attractor of (external) retail expenditure. suffers in comparison with its larger neighbours – M&S the only anchor store. Recommend that East Herts Council encourages development which includes a department store anchor. restaurants and bars clustered around the Market Square area a plus significant leisure activities at Anchor Street divorced from Town Centre dislocation of major leisure uses from the town centre restaurants =>poor mutual support Source: EHDC Retail Study 2008, Bishop’s Stortford © Bishop’s Stortford Town Council