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10th July 2007
     
         
             
  North Laine Traders Association
Minutes of the meeting at Regent Street Bar, Komedia, on 10 July 2007		      
         
 
Apologies: Eddie Start, Geoff Ellis, Brian Pedley and Andrew Bird.

City Centre Update
 Soozie Campbell, City Centre Manager provided a BID update.
      
         
  Funds      
 
  • Collected £166,000 of £182,000 invoiced, representing 92% - 30 traders taken to court.
  • £9,000 spent on legal action - six deferred cases will be heard on 14 August.
      
  Christmas Lights      
 
  • Newsletter advertises Blachere’s offer for window lights at half price.
  • Can anyone in NL offer a window to be dressed with lights, and hold networking event?
  • All faulty light boxes replaced and eye bolts tested – switch on mid November.
      
  Home Delivery Service - Unique Brighton area      
 
  • Customers paying fixed fee of £5 for home deliveries – encourage walking, use of public transport and cycling, customers staying longer in Brighton and increasing spend in shops.
  • Transport company in discussion is Bullet – moving to Upper Gardner Street, NL.
      
  Correspondence

North Laine Website
Web stats provided by Brian Pedley show total hits of 146,006 from 3.9.06 - 29.6.07

Monthly Web Stat Results (Number of Hits)
May 2007 - 20,339
June 2007 - 22,505 (Highest month ever!)

Quarterly Web Stat Results (Number of Hits)
3rd Quarter 2006 - 4,714
4th Quarter 2006 - 34,303
1st Quarter 2007 - 48,187
2nd Quarter 2007 - 58,802

4,000 hits per week in March and April have increased to over 5,000 in May and June.

Climate Change Invitation
Economic Partnership (& sponsors Brighton & Hove City Council and SEEDA) is inviting all businesses in Brighton to attend on Monday 23 July - agendas available.
Shopping and Eating Out Guide
Peter proposed that NLTA should take space in the Guide again, with free web address banners on alternate pages – cost £300 approx. Motion unanimously agreed.
Retail Training Company
Offer of free training in window dressing etc – ST and PS to investigate
      
         
  Meetings attended
  • NLCA meeting in June - discussion on Licensing Noise Nuisance resulting from smoking ban.
  • Meeting on 14 June with new Councillor, Ian Davey, and ST and PS – discussed pedestrianisation and other NL priorities.
  • Southern Water 20 June – Liaison meeting with all stakeholders about new areas to be dug up – details available today, and also minutes from last meeting.
  • City in Bloom 3 July – Little interest since last year’s water shortage, which resulted in the project being difficult to sell this year.
      
     
Treasurer’s report
David Hall reported a current balance of £4,405, with biggest expenditure on the website, at approx £100 per month. £1,234 has been spent on sustainable bags. Currently NLTA have 135 paid up members which is an increase of 10 on last year.

Sustainable Bag project
Apologies were received from Eddie Start so Sharon reported that the bags have been ordered (from a Fairtrade company with proven credentials) and a cheque issued. The first 400 will be here by early August, and local supplier, Fruity, can over-print for individual businesses, using water soluble inks. Samples will be delivered to every current member & orders taken.

Pedestrianisation
Sharon and Peter had attended a meeting with Stuart Croucher:
  • Cars used to reverse in Gardner Street on Saturdays and Sundays when pedestrianised but cannot currently due to various café’s outside seating, this is starting to occur in Sydney St.
  • Issue of pedestrians walking from pedestrianised streets to non-pedestrianised Gloucester Rd.
  • The newsletter to contain a warning that cars will be ticketed - SC will ensure that NCP enforce closurers. Cllr Davey to also investigate.
  • Feeling is that Sydney St should be totally pedestrianised -the street is empty when it is not.
  • New Road has issues – a hit ‘n run cyclist knocked a pedestrian over, who needed an ambulance, and open top tourist buses started service in New Road today (to be reviewed in November)
  • Tables, chairs, A Boards and cyclists made streets difficult for wheelchair and buggy access Abbey Hone was due to talk about Cycling and Transport issues but had not arrived at this point.
      
           
Christmas Campaign
  • Suggestion made that shops stay open until 7 pm on Christmas late night evenings.
  • PS will contact Priory or BIDS reps to co-ordinate.
  • MC suggested a Torchlight Treasure Hunt to attract families, and is also organising a Christmas Market with entertainment in New Road/The Level subject to permission

Sussex Police
Report from PCSO, John Sharman.
  • Issues with overspills from pubs resulting from the smoking ban – noise, litter.
  • Increase in distraction thefts and burglaries.
  • New Road – problems with homeless on benches, cyclists in road (PCSO’s only have powers to deal with cyclists on pavements)
  • Big groups of street drinkers, e.g. Pelham Sq, Norfolk Sq, St Peters, Providence Place, etc
  • Sgt Siggs’ Street Drinking Team has been disbanded – decision was finance led.
  • PCSO contact details are on the Sussex Police website www.sussex.police.uk
      
     
      A.O.B.      
     
  • Pride - Keith of Pokeno Pies has organised late night opening to 10.30 on Saturday 4 August in Gardner Street.
  • Litter - Peter received 2 calls from traders last week complaining of new large bins outside premises – Peter to contact City Clean.
  • PS and Cllr Davey to discuss Pedestrianisation and placing of litter bins and bollards.
  • Community Association Fundraisers – CD made by Sussex University Rag week bands – available at £5 tonight from Kevin, Rainbow Books.
  • NLCA – produce postcards of NL – available to NLTA at 25p each for resale at 50p.
      
             
     
The meeting ended at 7.30 pm when Sharon and Peter thanked Colin Grainger for the venue, plus PCSO John Sharman and Cllr Ian Davey, and all members present for attending.
     
             
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