Meeting Minutes 29th July 2008

Agenda
• Advertising and A boards
• Spar
• Pay and Display so far
• Advert in Lymm Life feedback and discussion on future direction
• Fighting fund
• Any Other Business

Attendees.
Pauline James – Spread Eagle Pub,– Mike Evans – Laura’s Choice, Fred Burrill , June Gittins – Lymm Parish Council, Ann Johnstone – Lymm Festival Committee, Hilary Hoyle – Arches, Phil and Sara Sexton – Sextons Bakery, Mark Harrison and Pam – Harrisons, Steve – Lymm Electric, Gary Skentlebury – Lymm Life

Apologies Flavours, Edgar Art, Sweet Shop, Lymm Pages, Pam Hunter, The Cheshire Set.

• Advertising and A Boards
The Planning Department have been clamping down on illegal signage. Philip has written to the Parish Council to voice our concerns and the Parish have formed a committee. The traders need to fight individually as well as a group and contact the Parish Council for help. Email the committee members pam.hunter@uwclub.net; joe.griffiths@lineone.net; r.barr@peartrees.com .

• Spar
There was a 2 hour meeting with Peter Dodding, Retail Director of Spar. He was upset about the adverse publicity but displayed a very positive attitude to improving the store and listening to feedback. He was advised we feel it needs to become more a supermarket rather than the convenience store it appears to be at the moment. At the Parish Council meeting he said they were meeting their budget but realised they have some way to go. The lines of communication are open and Spar are supporting Lymm Traders and contributing towards the fighting fund. The best approach would be to put negative feelings aside and work together to move forward.

• Pay and Display so far
Lots of positive feedback from traders and customers, footfall is up and customers appreciate the convenience of being able to park and have time to spend in the village, which benefits local businesses. There appear to be on average 12 empty spaces during the course of a working day, indicating the car park is being used successfully but spaces are always currently available. There has been one complaint so far about off road parking, but in the original plan the Council were to put double yellow lines on nearby roads but these have not yet been implemented.
Davies Way car park appears to be working ok as a long stay car park with a few spaces available during the day, but the layout does need changing and some of the re-cycling bins removed to free up more spaces. Giving positive feedback to the Council is crucial to balance out a handful of negative comments. The Parish Council needs to be asked for clear signage to be erected to ensure people are aware where it is and that it is now Pay and Display.

• Advert in Lymm Life feedback and discussion on future direction
It was discussed how well the previous campaign worked with a brochure in the centre pages of Lymm Life being delivered door to door. Gary and his helpers personally took on the task of distribution, and while the effort was appreciated it was felt that many homes were missed. It was decided that the brochure would run again in Lymm Life with door to door delivery for the next three consecutive months, but in future a distribution company would be used and every home in Lymm delivered to, the cost to be worked out. It was felt it would be wrong to run the feature in Village Life as this was another local publication, but maybe it would be worth considering using Warrington Worldwide as it is not local specific. The front cover of the Traders brochure is to be run as a poster to replace the yellow car park posters in shop windows.

• For the time being each village centre business is asked to contribute £30 a month for the next 3 months to fund the centre brochure in Lymm Life and its distribution. The more businesses that contribute the lower the cost should be to everyone.

• AOB – the development on the corner of Pepper Street has been refused opening up to 11pm. It appears this may be a deterrent to more Takeaways opening, but was felt to be unfair as other businesses open until this time and should opening times be the same across the village centre?. There was the possibility of a much needed off-licence opening, this would certainly need to be able to trade later than 8pm. The developers are launching an appeal against the decision.



• Another topic raised was the prohibition of using roller shutters to protect businesses.

Although it is appreciated that they can be unsightly, businesses do need to take strong security measures against thieves who frequently plague the village from nearby areas, especially as there is little or no local police presence.


Also the ruling on what is or is not allowed regarding roller shutters seems confusing at best, an external projecting box is not allowed but it can be considered if the business already has an illuminated sign or shutters can be used provided they have holes large enough to see through when backlit, but it was felt this allows thieves to ‘case the joint’ at night, allows thugs to urinate through the shutters and it increases the electricity bill and carbon footprint of the business.

Chairman’s Comment

It was a general feeling a personal crusade was being undertaken using Lymm as a trial model and this certainly seems to be the case as these schemes are first being implemented in Lymm, although the excuse it is a borough wide initiative is used, but in reality this is not happening. I also find the threats of a £2,000 per day fine for continuing to display A boards distasteful and probably not enforceable anyway.

I drove through Grappenhall, Latchford, Stockton Heath and the outskirts of Warrington town centre last week and counted 60 A boards on display, the one pictured below laughingly in all its glory directly opposite the Town Hall!


Along with the issue of A boards and illegal signage livelihoods appear to be being compromised due to someone’s personal agenda or crusade. If an individual wants to crusade, do so towards the enforced architectural improvement of Barclays Bank and the Shopping centre buildings, these are the real eyesores of the village, how did these receive planning consent?

Philip

Ps If you haven’t already paid this month’s advertising contribution of a poultry £30 then send your cheques immediately to Mark Harrison, Harrisons Business Supplies and Post Office who is Lymm Traders Treasurer, and make them payable to Lymm Traders. August edition of Lymm Life will be out soon and we will be collecting again, it is for the Village Traders benefit as a whole.



The meeting concluded at 7.05