SKIPTON CHAMBER OF TRADE & COMMERCE
Minutes
of General Meeting held at Tyro Training, Keighley Road, Skipton
Wednesday,
22nd September 2004
Before
commencement of business, the President introduced Chris Aldred
who had recently been appointed as Town Centre Manager, employed
by Skipton Town Council and Craven District Council.
As well as distributing a Newsletter, Chris outlined his
role and responsibilities and answered members many questions,
particularly on Renaissance Initiative issues.
Chris asked for views on late night opening in the trading
period leading to Christmas and also about a switch-on ceremony
for the lights. Members
felt that in the past staying open late on Thursdays had not been
a great success but the President said if individual shops decide
to open, if they let the Chamber know we can keep everyone
informed. The Town Council
will be considering a lights switch-on event and it was suggested
this could possibly be on a Sunday rather than early evening
mid-week. Chris said
for this year STC have increased to £10,000 the sum allocated for
lights to be exactly as last year and CDC funds will pay the
electricity bill. However
the Council will again be appealing for donations towards the
lights to cover possible additional locations, maintenance etc.
Chris concluded he is always available in the Town Council
offices above Barclays Bank and was looking forward to working
with the Chamber in the future.
President Tony Barrett thanked him for coming along to meet
members.
1
Present – T
Barrett (President), B Wright & D Lawson (Vice Presidents), L
Gould (Treasurer), B Allen
(Secretary),
M & H Lawson (Lawsons Cheeses Direct), C Couble (Base Menswear
& Fanny Adams), J Kerr (CDC), S Lunn (Wright Wine Co),
A Hadaway (The Earth Collection), R Hadaway (The Home
Company), Cllr. P Heseltine (STC), A Harding (Carlton House), H
Maxfield (C & H Brown), K Drysdale (Sam Houston’s), R Knox
(Bobby Dazzlers),
J Evans (Oswaldtwistle Mills), C &
P Ratcliffe (Skipton Fireplace Centre), C & R Hodgson(CoffeeCare),
P Jennings
(Flowers by Design).
2 Apologies
– J Hughes (TIC), R Newhouse
(Roger Newhouse), T Watson (Coffee Mill), D Goldie (David Goldie),
J
Moody (Moody & Co), R Moule (Moule
Media), R Newall (Eight Food), L Payne
(The Dalesman).
3 Minutes
of Members’ meeting Wednesday, 21st July 2004 were signed as a correct record,
proposed by Lesley Gould and seconded by Ron Knox. In
Notes of Executive meeting held Wednesday, 23rd June
2004 item 6 ‘Town Hall’ was deleted and replaced by
‘Library’.
4 Matters
arising
(a)
Newsletter – Due to
pressure of work Norman Spence has resigned from the Executive and
the President
recorded thanks to him for his work on the Committee
and representing the Chamber on the Crime Reduction
Partnership.
This means someone is still required to take over from
Robert Hadaway liaising with members to
produce Newsletters. Robert explained this involves
contacting people for articles, fitting them into a computer template and e mailing this to the office for printing.
President Tony said this is an important job and a useful line
of communication between members and hoped someone would come
forward to take it on.
(b)
Social Convenor and rep on Crime Reduction Partnership – Again volunteers are needed for
these 2 jobs. Tony said the Chamber would like to have 2 social events each year.
Crime prevention is an important feature in the policing of
the town and this involves attending 3 monthly meetings held
during the day. Any
members interested in these 3 jobs to contact the President or
Secretary.
(c)
Food and Drink Festival – Arrangements are going ahead well
and lots of tickets are being sold.
The event is to be well promoted, including publicity in the Yorkshire Post.
Jonathan Kerr said a similar Festival is definitely booked
for 2005 and hopefully this will become an annual event.
The Chamber’s Town Guide will be available to the park
and ride bus drivers and the TIC will have a stand at the Festival
also handing out the Guide.
(d)
Town Centre Working Group – Darren
Lawson said Chris Aldred had chaired a meeting held the previous Thursday and all seems to be going well, with already improved
communication. The next
meeting will concentrate on the market and cleansing. Subsequent
meetings will cover traffic and signs.
For each meeting the relevant person will be asked to
attend and Chris emphasised that this is definitely a working
group, not a policy making body. Would members let Darren know if they have anything for
him to take to the meetings.
5 Officers’
reports (a) Membership – It was
proposed by Tony Barrett, seconded by Ron Knox that SpecSavers
and CartridgeWorld should become
members. Agreed.
(b)
Traffic – Bob Wright said he would be having a meeting on 6th
October with NYCC regarding the proposals for traffic lights in
the Mill Bridge area. Bob
is still awaiting a
response from CDC about HGV’s in the Town Hall car park.
(c) Treasurer -
Lesley Gould said Christmas tree payments are starting to
come in, as well as
website maintenance receipts.
Subs are up on budget and expenditure has been relatively
low. £6,235 from Rural
Business Networking is still in the bank.
Lesley expects
the year end results will be up on forecast.
(d)
Secretary – Barbara confirmed all the paperwork has gone through to
form a Company Limited by Guarantee. The President said the new
company would be called Skipton Business Forum Limited, trading as
Skipton Chamber of Trade & Commerce;
thus avoiding the necessity of changing the bank account
and relevant standing orders.
6 New
members’ pack - President Tony showed draft mock-ups
of the new pack and inserts and said these
would be printed shortly after minor
amendments. Initially every
member will receive a copy and they
will also be used in a recruitment drive.
Robert Hadaway suggested the designers be asked to provide
a template for the
Newsletter.
7
Market Town Renaissance Initiative – Joan
Evans who, together with Lesley Gould, had been representing the
Chamber on the Renaissance team, expressed the great fears of traders in
the Coach Street area about a proposed Joint
Service Centre in Coach Street car park. Joan
also stressed that, although the Chamber reps had attended
meetings, they had no import or influence on the proposals.
She was worried that as the Chamber was mentioned under
Acknowledgements in the Vision document, people may infer the
Chamber endorsed all the proposals, when this was far from the
case. The President
reported a letter had been sent to members of the Local Strategic
Partnership incorporating members’ concerns. A copy of this
letter will be included in the next Newsletter.
Jonathan Kerr, CDC, responded that the process had to be
started somewhere and ideas put on paper.
After the initial work by John Thompson
and Partners, the next stage was an investment study by Grimleys.
Copies of the Vision document will shortly be distributed
to all properties in Skipton and public consultation will take
place at the end of November. There followed an animated discussion between members, Jonathan and Chris.
In summing up the debate the President said big changes are
likely. Apathy will
mean anything could happen and that an essential way of
influencing the outcome is by lobbying our Councillors.
8 Medieval
Festival – Joan Evans thanked
those who had placed an advertisement in the programme which is an important source of income.
The TIC will be handing out Festival leaflets at the Food
Festival in October and Joan has copies if any member would like
them for their premises. Joan
had learned that a request had been made for Flea Markets to be
held in the main Town Hall area on both Sundays but this was felt
to be unsuitable as
the Festival was a charity event.
Tony Barrett to take this up on the Chamber’s behalf.
Tony thanked the Committee for its hard work.
9 Correspondence (a) Tourist
Information Centre - Judith Hughes had sent an e-mail
saying that CDC had not yet actually confirmed it will take the TIC under its jurisdication from 2005.
Sue Swales, the Manager, has asked for a position
statement. The President
said it is important the TIC is funded correctly.
(b) NYCC Market Towns Briefing Friday, 8th
October 2004 Falcon Manor Hotel, Settle.
(c)
Business Crime Reduction
- Strategic and implementation plans.
(d)
Rural Regeneration Conference 2004 Wednesday, 13th
October 2004.
(e)
Craven College – Craven & Dales Workforce Development Project.
10
Any other business
(a) Town Guide – Members will shortly be contacted
about the 2005 Guide. Cost
to members will be £100 ¼ page and 30,000 copies will
be printed. The Guide
will include more information on events during the year
and will incorporate various amendments suggested by
members.
There being no
further business, the President thanked Tyro Training for their
hospitality and closed the meeting at 7.26 pm.
| 
