- First images of ‘new’ Riverside pool site unveiled
- Residents thanked for hospice generosity
- New grants to promote energy efficiency
- Station redevelopment plans approved
- Christmas waste and recycling collections
- Schools top national results tables
- Christmas and new year opening hours
- One step closer to ‘Achieving for Children’
- Borough’s bloomers praised by Mayor
- Residents asked about future plan for Twickenham
- Listening to Twickenham businesses
- Richmond calls for Government action on metal theft
- Robo-Attack at the Riverside Gallery
- Keep safe this Christmas
- Riverside jewel to be borough's latest open space
- Council with community at its heart
- Christmas cheer for older residents
- Crane Park Christmas present for residents
- Borough on the way to recovery
- Children with autism get special screening at Richmond Cinema
- Hampton families invited for sneak preview at new family centre
- Rocking at the Urban Christmas Carol
- Mr Marc Cranfield Adams
- Deck the Halls with the Garden Gang
- Residents invited to create local anthology about Barnes
- High quality secondary education for all
- Attention! Kneller Hall available for weddings
Release Date: 13/12/2011
Listening to Twickenham businesses
Employment Minister Chris Grayling and Pamela Fleming, Richmond Council’s Cabinet Member for Business met with independent shop owners today, to learn how the economic down turn has affected them.
The visits to shops in King Street, Heath Road and Church Street in Twickenham co-incided with the launch of the Government-commissioned report on the future of high streets by Mary Portas, the ‘Queen of Shops’. Mr Grayling and Cllr Fleming heard honest and useful opinions from five shopkeepers on how the town centre is developing, and how more could still be done.
Cllr Fleming, Cabinet Member for Community, Business and Culture, said: “Over the last 18 months we have consulted residents and businesses about improving Twickenham and taken a number of steps to try to help businesses combat the recession.
“The best way we can learn how the Council’s actions are really paying off is to go out and talk to shops. We heard some positive feedback from several of the businesses, and we were also given useful ideas for the future. We did not expect to go out and talk to ‘yes men’, that would have been a waste of time. Good work has already been done, and the benefits from the Mayor’s Outer London Fund are welcomed by the shopkeepers, but there is more to focus on. This is a pro-business Council and I have listened carefully to everything that has been said and will be looking closely at Mary Portas’ report.”
“We know parking is still an issue in Twickenham, as in many high streets up and down the country. We have brought in 30 minutes free parking for RichmondCard holders and we’re also introducing general 30 minute bays by stripping out yellow lines. These changes will take time to filter through, both to shop owners and customers and I hope businesses will help us promote the benefits of the Richmond Card. Our new policies are a process not an event, but the feedback I have had during the past 12 months reassures me we are doing the right thing.”
Following the 45 minute tour, Chris Grayling said: “The challenge is to make sure that small shops and high streets don’t try to mimic the bigger high streets, they should have their own character.
“The strength of partnerships between councils and traders is vital, you cannot build good town centres without that partnership. What we have done today is to recognise the very real pressure on small businesses and smaller town centres. Even in Twickenham you have got bigger centres like Richmond and Kingston nearby and the town needs a real effort. It has been great to come to Twickenham to see local partnerships working effectively.
“The whole theme of Mary Portas’ report is partnership and localism, and that is something which is already happening in Twickenham, which is really good. We are now looking carefully at what Mary has recommended and there will be further measures coming forward that will support our towns and help improve growth.”
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