NEW North Laine Map! |
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 | Street Reps Meeting Minutes 10th July 2007 |
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 North Laine Traders Association
Minutes of the meeting at Regents Street Bar, Komedia on 10th 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.
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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
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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.
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| 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
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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.
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| 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.
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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.
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| 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
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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.
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| 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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100% North Laine Bags
Find out more about our sustainable bags |
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