Thursday 11 April 2013

In Hexham, For Hexham - a first step to smartening up Hexham

On Monday evening I met with many of the local independent shop owners, who asked to come and see me to discuss how Hexham could be returned to its former shopping destination glory. This is the latest in a series of meetings I have had with retailers and local business groups.
All of us agreed on Monday that we need to act now to smarten up Hexham in a number of ways. 
1. Our first big idea is a town centre clean up to be fixed on a date in May when we ask everyone to get the town cleaned, painted and planted for the summer. I envisage a volunteer army of townspeople giving up an hour or so to clean their area and common parts. We are working on the date and will let everyone know once we have discussed feasibility and got certain key permissions.

2. I also asked the shopkeepers, both those who were there [and others not present but who we will write to] to draw up a list of key changes they would like to see in the town - both big and small: - from lights that have not been fixed for years, - to shop fronts that have not been cleaned or maintained, - to landlords or the County Council who have failed to do their bit - and big ticket items like the state of the Shambles. The list will be long and I welcome the input of one and all.

3. We need to make sure all the interested parties are working together: sometimes it seems to me that not every private or public sector organsiation is pulling in the same direction in Hexham -a point made by the shopkeepers who came to see me.
4. I am going to try and engage with the landlords and write / speak to them to ensure that they are doing their bit - particularly those landlords who are not able to let their premises at present.

5. Encourage people not just to show their loyalty but educate them as to the dangers of internet shopping - we are in a "Use It or Lose it" situation. either we support the town or it will struggle.

6. I have called campaign "In Hexham, For Hexham" - as we will be writing to all local businesses, big and small, the Courant and the business groups, asking them to sign up to the "In Hexham, For Hexham" campaign. The idea is for all the small local shops, cafes, businesses big and small to invest and work together to promote Hexham as a retail and general destination for the benefit of everyone.

I want us to come together to work for the benefit of our wonderful town. By joining the forces of our local retailers, big and small, we can really start to make a difference to how people view the Town Centre. This is all about taking action now. We have had a very positive first meeting and over the coming weeks and months we will be developing our plan to get Hexham back on the map as a retail destination.
We can also use the investment of the big stores to the advantage of the town. We need to come up with a strong retail offer across the whole town and ensure we get the mix right to keep our town centre alive.
Yes, we need more investment and support from County Hall, but our overall aim must be to improve the lot for Hexham local residents. We can do that by highlighting the wonderful things already of offer here, but also working hard to bringing businesses and shops into our town and breathe new life into the town.
With teamwork, an open mind and application our best days can lie ahead.