Sorry - nothing's happening when I try to change my name.

Can't see my screen ..so can't update my name etc

NO..on ccomputer

Click on the 3 dots next to your name and you will see 'rename'.

Cllr Pam Jones, Alton Ton Mayor

Carol Thornton, Barton upon Humber Town Council

I can't see my name anywhere on the screen

I am not sure whether mic or video is on or off?

I can get a little box in the top left corner, which has me down as a participant number, but I can't change that.

Just have red info sceen plus small thumbnail of speaker

I'm Ed Thompson from Martlesham Parish council and East Suffolk Council

ok

Thanks

That's what I have as well. Red info screen plus thumbnail of speaker.

is there any tea and biscuits?

Hello I am Cllr Stewart Palmen from Trowbridge Town Council

Can my dog join us?

I have tea and blueberry muffins

My cat is on my lap

Bob Brown from Ulverston Town Council.

Andrew Maliphant, retired parish clerk and active regeneration practitioner - hi everyone

Fortunately you are spared the sight of the mad cocker...

Hi everyone, thanks for joining us today :-)

Can you see us

Hello, Cllr Henrietta Ross from Upton upon Severn Town Council

No Pam, only the speakers will be on your screen plus the slides

ok

Hi to Bob - fond memories of Ulverston 1990-92

Hello all, as I cant see the list of people , I'm Cllr. Helen Headech of Uttoxeter Staffordshire.

We're using the Zoom webinar not meetings which is why you won't see the faces of all attendees - with their dogs and tea/biscuits ;-)

Hi, Steve Cosser , Chairman SurreyALC

Hi I am Cllr Neil Jacques from Barton upon Humber Town Council

🎄Did someone mention Christmas??

Hello,Lori Ramsay, Community Projects Manager - Yate Town Council

Hello I'm Tina Reavey from Higham Ferrers I cant change my name

I don't do Christmas until after Guy Fawkes!

We are already planning the return of our Christmas Marmots...

Hi everyone from Alison at Loftus Town Council (northernmost bit of North Yorkshire) with a Victorian and Georgian Town Centre (and a significant level on the Indices of multiple deprivation………)

Hi, I am from Shipston on Stour

Hi, I am from Rugeley in Staffordshire.

Are we all introducing ourselves? Sorry, I was a bit late. Hi I am Belina, currently Clipstone PC in Nottinghamshire but soon moving to Gainsborough in Lincolnshire - just in time for Christmas.

I'm from Ulverston Town Council

mark.davies@ccla.co.uk - if you're interested in hearing about our specialist investment funds for Town & Parish Councils ….

Will be able to share images?

Hello. I'm here from Welshpool Town Council and also Sutton Maddock Parish Council

Better late than never. Graham Poulter Gillingham (Dorset) TC

Hello from Barton Upon Humber Town Council

Alton has its own shop unit which is now a pop up emporium for crafts etc

You need creative officers and councillors

Also a more "experiential" high street.. not so much retail focused anymore

Openings for services not available on line etc

Matt can you out your email address in the chat box please?

Does anyone have retail units dedicated to parcel collection? Deliveries arriving when you're out are a real nuisance now, both to the householder and the neighbours.

I know who Ryan is - he is on You Tube. I have grand children!!

I wonder how fuel shortages in the future will affect deliveries of on line orders

It might feel like a nightmare, but it’s an opportunity. Granted a tough one.

Agreed

Toys r us and others went under because they sold what they thought people wanted, not what they actually wanted. Influencers like Ryan have always been around, celebs have sold to us for decades, it's just become a very clever sales technique and tool that's utilised well.

Assumption that Town Council's accept and want to tackle climate change. Mine don't.

Our has and made a lot of progress on the issue at a local level

Isn't Stockton's plan just the latest in a series of billions of public money invested into a failing town? (No offence intended - I like Stockton, but tis not without long term structural challenges which have been in place for 40 years)

Hmm, but should our High Street just be there to serve consumerism? In non- affluent areas, this will not work or lead to even more misery by getting people into dept. The high Street needs to be more.

sadly, most councils are still stuck in the neoliberal economic system, where buying stuff is all important and respond accordingly.

well put

So have we. Electric Van for green spaces team, converting streamers leaf blowers etc to battery power. Carbon Reduction Fund, and a retirement for all briefing papers to have a CO2 impact section similar to Legal implications etc

ooh hello Cllr Clarke - shout out for Teesside and Cleveland!

We have recently adopted two plans - An Environmental Policy and a Bio-diversity and Eco- Resilience Policy

Local councils need help/guidence to know how they can tackle climate change locally. It’s frightening how isolated we feel in tackling it.

Agreed - we need to share good practice urgently

😁

Do check out the work of Kendal's Climate Jury

TY Chris

We've loads of info, resources and case studies on the dedicated webpage on the NALC website here https://www.nalc.gov.uk/our-work/climate-change

none of this is new, this has been happening for 30 years. The addition of online shopping is the same as any time saving tool.

I am 'an older woman'....I am involved with many organisations and there are so many older women running them... but they often need to use a car as not so mobile

Oh thank god, I've been banging on for years that pedestrianizing will destroy whats left of our high streets!

Ultimately it comes down to “Life work Balance” and I put life first deliberately

...and some of us can't ride a bike....

Understanding of (older) women's needs: why does nobody ever take toilets into account? Many, possibly most older women need regular access to a loo when out!

YES yes..... loos

cars vs pedestrian though is a serious dichotomy of interest

As a Councillor and head of a Chamber of Trade, I agree that we need a safe and fair balance of town use for Cars, Cyclists and Pedestrians. The "war on cars" is too blinkered, but change is needed.

Pedestrianising with associated parking alongside has to be best. Park, then walk a short distance to the shops where you can stroll safely.

everyone who is stopping more than a short time needs loos. Family friendly loos means you can stay and browse longer.

When I was first a Cllr I was a full time teacher and a mother of 2 teenagers... you have to be well organised and passionate about your town

In Sheringham North Norfolk we have a really thriving independent high street. We believe that is down to the fact we have town centre parking and on street parking in the high street. We are attempting to finad a way to retain this but coming under pressure to remove cars from the town centre . would be interested to discuss this further Suzannah Clarke

We are benefitting in a Trowbridge with a Chamber of Commerce which is now made up with more Women than Men. Also the number of Female Town Councillors has increased greatly and this is a real benefit to fresh thinking.

Needed to hear this, Thank you.

I am not quite in the 65+ group - yet. I would not chose to shop where there is a constant stream of cars. What is needed is a convenient way to navigate town centres without cars. And I do not mean e-scooters.

😊

The UK seems to be the only Country that doesn't understand that we can have spaces that allow cars and people together. The ideological thought that it should be green space and seating with no access to cars just forces the shoppers to out of town retail where they can shop the way they want to. Telling them they should shop a different way doesn't change what works

been to Sheringham most years over the last 10 years,it definitely comes across (to the visitor) as more vibrant than it was.

Could we please be sent the Presentations by each speaker?

n case it helps with the women feeling safe at night aspect - we are currently doing a pilot scheme to light up darker areas within a town to see if that helps and may be a consideration for the future , so don't just think that lighting is only for Christmas

slides will be sent out

Alton has a weekly market and also monthly craft and farmers' markets.. During lockdown our council organised outdoor markets on a Saturday ones.. these were held on every weekend last December...... covid safer.... they have proved really popular so will continue.. promote voluntary groups and local crafters

We're looking at pedestrianisation and re-establishing a market, but our town centre is very cramped and not well endowed with parking. We could use some help (preferably free or funded!) to help work this out.

Will a link for the recording of this meeting be sent out?

getting the highway authority to recognise the need for a TRO seems problematic

Stroud farmer’s Market has been going weekly for over 20 years. It has made a significant boost to footfall in the town centre and keeps the town centre alive certainly on a Saturday. The other market keeps people coming in on Fridays and Saturdays.

And getting the community accept change!

I'm a Town Councillor, a business woman running my own retail store for the past 17 years on the High St and Chair of the local BID board. Telling people what they need instead of listening to what they want is a great way of failing

Community engagement and involvement is vital in all this

We have a market every Wed, Sat and it bring ALOT of footfall. Plus famous food market this weekend. Our market really does help current high street.

Well said.... all funding went to District Cllrs when Local Parish council got nothing

I run a new Independent Traders Market with a local community group and it has really helped new businesses and bring people into town. It is under the Town Council but not branded as a council event. "Trowbridge Weavers Market" google it :-)

TY good point

Stroud Farmers Market is run as a private business but the other market is run by the District Council.

so agree. The car cannot be king anymore.

Yes, systems to move people not cars.

To what extent can or should town centres convert premises to residential?

residential vs night time economy = conflict

Get rid of the District Councils! Unitary is the way to go!

Many local newspapers are not proactive.....so Facebook is a useful tool to communicate

Be careful of what you wish for. A new unitary can be hi-jacked by the largest former DC and most rersources go there.

Here's the markets toolkit David just mentioned https://www.highstreetstaskforce.org.uk/resources/details/?id=a7c61996-8cb8-44f7-a131-075bd12fd904

Lewes is developing a scheme to help more people to get online so they can join in Zoom, FB, shopping etc.

Good question for David here from over in the Q&A - If a council possesses General Power of Competence, does it need to rely on Food Act 1984 to be able to operate a market?

Justin - you should know the answer to that!

Maybe a town partnership with everyone involved, not just chamber of trade. Businesses are part of the community

Some Councils have a youth Council too.

Stroud TC appointed a Community Development Officer three years ago. She has made a huge difference to the two more deprived areas of the town. Each now has a thriving community group, both were community lead and supported by the Town Council. We also funded 4 Freezers of Love to distribute pre cooked food via the local Food bank. All help build communities.

access to LEPs for town and parish councils is practically impossible

We have a problem with absentee landlords…. who have no real interest in the shops being let.. just apart of portfolios for tax relief etc

Us too Pam...

On Linda's point about engaging with LEPs I'd be keen to hear more about what councils have tried and hasn't worked - policycomms@nalc.gov.uk

We have just completed a survey of our town centre businesses and shops with Councillors visiting them in person and the reaction and answers have been in the main positive - the main issue being the cost of parking. This is the beginning of the community working together - they have some great ideas and we are looking to implement some. The conversation around setting up a BID was brought up by the traders themselves however the Town Council had already begun a conversation around this. The Planning Department is our stumbling block with regard to the re-use of shops and upgrading of pubs etc.

You also need to talk to those who have not set up business in your town to see what they need or you will just preserve what is already there and things are changing massively. Maybe some of those older businesses should die?

Agree Stewart - we are a traditional old market town

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Thank you to all the speakers

Thanks everyone

can we contct details please

Thank you

Second that Tracy was in Teignmouth last week.. my home town.

Thanks you

Thank you. Our retail units are filled quickly we need more footfall

oThanks to everyone - let's keep in touch

Thank you.