A headline in a local South Devon paper caught my eye this week. Traders urged: ‘Vote yes to BID scheme.’ Apparently hundreds of ballot papers have been sent to businesses in Paignton asking them to vote YES for Paignton Business Improvement District matched funding.
BID schemes have been popping up all over the place in response to the deterioration of town centres and the increasing number of boarded up empty shops. The BID schemes require businesses to contribute toward the improvements which then attracts government funding.
Two thoughts come immediately to mind.
The first is the question whether in point of fact we are all, as they say, singing from the same hymn sheet since last summer we had one part of our local council making people welcome and another part making them unwelcome. The photograph at the top of this blog partly makes the point.
The second thought seems, to me, a blindingly obvious way of attracting people back into the town centres in the hope of generating community focused local shopping. MAKE THE FIRST HOUR OF PARKING FREE. All motorists would need to do is print a one hour ticket from the parking meter which would give them a little latitude when shopping, visiting the bank, nipping into the local church for a bit of quiet meditation and generally making contact with the local population.
You can do what you like to beautify the landscape but if the town isn’t car friendly people will automatically drift the out of town cathedrals of consumerism where ample parking is provided with a convenient shopping trolley to prop visitors up as they shuffle around the aisles dazed by the lights and mindless music.
Please spread the word! Support your local community and push for FIRST HOUR FREE PARKING in Devon town centres.
frank
BID schemes have been popping up all over the place in response to the deterioration of town centres and the increasing number of boarded up empty shops. The BID schemes require businesses to contribute toward the improvements which then attracts government funding.
Two thoughts come immediately to mind.
The first is the question whether in point of fact we are all, as they say, singing from the same hymn sheet since last summer we had one part of our local council making people welcome and another part making them unwelcome. The photograph at the top of this blog partly makes the point.
The second thought seems, to me, a blindingly obvious way of attracting people back into the town centres in the hope of generating community focused local shopping. MAKE THE FIRST HOUR OF PARKING FREE. All motorists would need to do is print a one hour ticket from the parking meter which would give them a little latitude when shopping, visiting the bank, nipping into the local church for a bit of quiet meditation and generally making contact with the local population.
You can do what you like to beautify the landscape but if the town isn’t car friendly people will automatically drift the out of town cathedrals of consumerism where ample parking is provided with a convenient shopping trolley to prop visitors up as they shuffle around the aisles dazed by the lights and mindless music.
Please spread the word! Support your local community and push for FIRST HOUR FREE PARKING in Devon town centres.
frank
