Further
Parking Boost for Windermere
This has
now been extended until the end of May 2008.
South Lakeland District Council has
agreed to give Windermere village businesses another leg up,
by agreeing to reintroduce free short stay parking in Broad
Street car park.
The original arrangement gave shoppers
free parking for up to two hours in the short stay area of
Broad Street car park from early February until last Friday,
March 14. From the outset I’ve been working closely with
the District Council to extend this very popular scheme.
Normal parking charges will be levied up
until March 30. But
from Monday March 31 SLDC
will allow free short stay parking for up to two hours in
Broad Street car park until April 30, when the
arrangement will again be reviewed.
I’ll be producing a new window poster for
shops nearer the time. But it’s important not to cause
confusion by promoting this too publicly, too soon. We
don’t want visitors thinking parking is free BEFORE March
31, and getting ticketed!
If you are a shopkeeper
displaying the old poster, please take it down, so that the
new scheme gets maximum impact when it begins.
For more information, don’t hesitate to
contact me on 015394 40021, or
paul@sldt.co.uk
This newsletter
goes out to over 100 local businesses, residents and
others. If you know someone who would like to be included
on the email distribution list, please ask them to contact
me.
Crescent
Road Count-down
Work on Crescent Road in Windermere
continues to progress, with high quality finished surfaces
appearing from under the cones and barriers.
While bad weather
and additional works can make deadlines hard to set with
complete confidence, the contractors Alfred McAlpine Plc are
starting to advise when they hope to complete various
elements of the scheme.
These are
targets, rather than guaranteed deadlines.
March 21-30
– Crescent Road temporarily re-opened to traffic for the
Easter break. Some barriers will have to remain, to ensure
pedestrian safety. The temporary traffic flows on Main Road
(southbound) and College Road (northbound) will remain in
force, to minimise confusion.
Mid May
– Traffic could start to use Crescent
Road permanently once again, and at least some of the
parking bays brought back into use.
Mid to end of May
– Scheme completion. Possible overrun on
completion of paving at the bottom of High Street.
Back to Basics
Despite plans in
shop windows, a dedicated website, news stories in the press
and on radio, word-of-mouth and these newsletters, it is
clear that many local people are unaware of what exactly is
planned for Windermere village. This leads to traders being
asked the same basic questions time and again:
Is Crescent Road
being pedestrianised?
Are we losing our
free on-street parking?
Is Main Road
going to be for southbound traffic permanently?
(Clue: the answer
to all three is No)
Despite the
irritation of being asked the same seemingly daft questions
over and over, the majority of traders are publicly staying
very positive about the project – whether they are
personally in favour of the changes or not.
As a result,
media coverage has been upbeat in the main, and this is good
for the village economy. If you have questions to ask or
problems that need resolving, in the first instance please
contact either Ian Goss, Alfred McAlpine Plc’s public
liaison officer, on 07786 110658, or me on 015394 40021.
There are some
basic Frequently Asked Questions about the project in the
latest edition of The Hub (the local free quarterly
community magazine), which should help to increase
understanding of what is happening in Windermere.
Parking in Broad
Street Car Park
At present the
short stay area of Broad Street car park is available for up
to two hours free of charge. This concession by South
Lakeland District Council is intended to offset the
temporary loss of free on-street parking on Crescent Road
while the works are underway. This arrangement is set to
finish on March 14, but there are indications that SLDC
might be persuaded to reinstate the free parking concession
after March 30 – watch this space.
Some concern has
been expressed that one or two individuals may be parking
all day in Broad Street car park without paying. Anyone
using Broad Street car park illegally like this risks a
parking ticket, and makes life even harder for businesses in
the village, at a very difficult time.
Unsung Heroes?
Whatever you
think of the project itself, one message is coming across
loud and clear – the McAlpines workforce on the ground are
doing a great job in very trying conditions. Despite
sometimes atrocious weather and brickbats from
understandably frustrated members of the public, they are
working flat-out to build a complex scheme to a very high
standard indeed.
Their efforts
have been rewarded with praise at public meetings, freebies
from grateful traders, and a regular audience of small boys
and older men. They have been overwhelmingly good-humoured
and polite, taking time out to entertain babies, rescue
toddlers from wet concrete, post letters and move dustbins.
They
have also been nominated for the hotly contested “Unsung
Heroes” category in the 2008 Cumbria Tourism Awards.
For more information
For more info
contact Ian Goss, Alfred McAlpine Plc’s public liaison
officer, on 07786 110658, or me, Paul Holdsworth on 015394
4002
This newsletter
goes out to over 80 local businesses, residents and others.
If you know someone who would like to be included on the
email distribution list, please ask them to contact me.
The Windermere
Enhancement Scheme is a partnership project led by the
Windermere & Bowness Masterplan Steering Group, with
representation from Cumbria Tourism, Cumbria County Council,
South Lakes Development Trust, Lake District National Park
Authority, Northwest Regional Development Agency, Cumbria
Vision and South Lakeland District Council. The scheme is
funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency, the
European Regional Development Fund and Cumbria County
Council.
Windermere works progress
As you will have noticed, work on the
Windermere Enhancement Scheme has now started in earnest in the
centre of the village.
Indications so far are that Alfred McAlpine,
through its community liaison officer Ian Goss (07786 110658),
is working very hard to respond to issues raised by residents
and traders. Many detail issues relating to traffic management,
temporary signage and road safety have been dealt with quickly
and courteously.
Concern was expressed about the loss of the
traffic island on the A591 between the Railway station slip road
and Windermere Hotel. Although this facility was to be removed,
residents to the east of the A591 explained how useful it was to
them, so this will be reinstated.
Extra signs have been installed to direct
traffic towards shops and petrol, and also to maximise
pedestrian safety where traffic flows have been reversed.
Feedback suggests that many locals are
pleased with the neat and tidy approach to the work, and while
some traffic delay is inevitable, there have been very few
complaints about serious hold-ups.
Coverage in the media so far has been very
positive, with radio and print media emphasising that Windermere
is very much “Open for Business”. Village traders have also
been solidly on-message, generating positive media coverage to
ensure potential customers continue to use Windermere’s great
mix of shops and free on-street parking.
Maintaining high
standards
Alfred McAlpine and Cumbria County Council
are ensuring only the highest quality materials are used in the
Windermere enhancement project. Some of the sandstone supplied
for parking bays has not been of sufficiently high quality, so
alternative suppliers are being sought.
This may require rescheduling some work, but
Alfred McAlpine is seeking to ensure no delay is incurred as a
result.
Business Rates Relief?
Some traders have asked about the possibility
of temporary rates relief during the street works.
While South Lakeland
District Council is the collection agency for rates, appeals are
handled by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA). Anyone can apply
for a rates reduction by submitting a rating appeal form. If
an appeal is successful the VOA will automatically review other
businesses in the area that
they believe
are similarly affected.
If lots of businesses
apply for temporary relief, this will strengthen the case across
the village.
As part of the appeals
process the VOA will request that you supply details of your
trade over the last three years to demonstrate clear evidence of
any change in business revenue year-on-year. Following receipt
of your initial appeal VOA will send you a formal request for
this evidence, together with further information regarding the
appeals process.
You need to submit your
appeal form while the street works are underway, otherwise it
will not be accepted as a valid appeal.
You can apply for
temporary business rates reduction online at
www.voa.gov.uk, or phone the VOA Ulverston Office for more
information and an appeal form on 01229 897100.
Contractor updates –
Online and Offline
Alfred McAlpine has set up a website just for
this scheme -
www.windermereenhancement.com. On the site you can check
for updates on works progress, view a “Look Ahead” of what work
is planned next, and see the site plans.
Alternatively, site plans can be viewed at
the Drop-In Centre at Alfred McAlpine’s site office, on the old
Windermere Nursery site, New Road, Windermere.
Plans are also on display in Renoir’s on Main
Road – have a cup of coffee and a sandwich while you view…
If you have any problems with the scheme,
don’t hesitate to contact either
Ian Goss, Public Liaison
Officer on 07786 110658, or myself on 015394 40021.
Paul Holdsworth, Town Centre Manager
This newsletter goes
out to over 80 local businesses, residents and others. If you
know someone who would like to be included on the email
distribution list, please ask them to contact me.
The Windermere
Enhancement Scheme is a partnership project led by the
Windermere & Bowness Masterplan Steering Group, with
representation from Cumbria Tourism, Cumbria County Council,
South Lakes Development Trust, Lake District National Park
Authority, Northwest Regional Development Agency, Cumbria Vision
and South Lakeland District Council. The scheme is funded by
the Northwest Regional Development Agency, the European Regional
Development Fund and Cumbria County Council.
