Presented by Kirklees Filmmakers; Meirul Din-Manning

‘Wont you take me to... Our Funky Town…not Ghost town’Batley Urban-Village Arts; Regenerating and re-mending our streets & commerce

A strategy for the revitalisation of Commercial street through local trade and dynamic activity

Our aims in this presentation today, will be to;

• Indicate briefly who we are, what we are about and why

• Give a brief historical overview of Batley

• Of Batley’s recent past… our present situation …and future need

…and to proceed to a strategy for success

In particular…

• To examine Batley’s Commercial street, from the main Market Square to the Super-store of Tesco’s and the empty Batley Arcade, Alfred’s Way

• To highlight our Latent Skills and opportunities

• To advocate a multi-layered approach to wealth generation and creative sustainability

• To indicate layers of involvement

• To advocate for the way and type of use of our High Street regarding the empty shop-units

• To briefly consider a time-line & budgets

• …and a Summary

So what are we about? ….Cutting to the chase

I represent a not-for-profit local Filmmaking enterprise, acting as a catalyst for local groups and organisations. We aim to highlight and promote these endevours

I am based in the Batley Resource Centre and have outreach programmes of education through the medium of Film and Media

I have a background in Film, television and Journalism

We fund-raise, develop projects, liaise with schools, community groups and organisations

Through these programmes I have come to see the difficulty that my home town is suffering from and I want to play an active role in its remedy

Batley…from riches to ragsFrom a wealthy and industrious background, Batley is suffering from empty shops, a lack of local and outside visitors, it’s footfall continuing to drop and a lack of creative endevour attracting local and regional interest

Batley is sliding into decay, which we want to address here and to help initiate and lead a revitalised High Street and reverse this process

We propose to show measures and strategies to combat various problems which face this town as it does in so many others within the UK

With empty shops and a poorer people within the locality since the 1870’s! we must address this and face this reality. We have ‘Food Banks’ in our town which is shocking

It’s not all doom and gloom…

we have a great local base of ‘Latent energy’ …an unrealised potential to be utilised.

Although we advocate a creative arts approach, we also must emphasise the need for local regenerated trade and wealth acquisition

Arts cannot lead, they compliment and encourage and ultimately celebrate a creative energy

We want to establish a strong creative arts base but we also acknowledge that an allied creative endevour, through trade will compliment and strengthen these ‘art’ projects

Overview and historical precedent...

Batley, mentioned in the Doomsday Book, was part of the great textile industries of this region and noted for the invention of ‘shoddy’ a new material made from disused woollen rags.

Batley has traditionally been a local regional centre with outlying parish villagesBatley was enhanced by the establishment of its Town Hall and the Carnegie Library which was built in 1853 and 1907 respectivelyThe neo classical architectural style provides an arena of elegance and stability which enhances the town and its neighbouring country-side

Batley’s recent past.. (Lest we forget)

Commercial Street, which this report focuses on, also has a further architectural style now in existence, which is the low ‘Mansard’ Roofed architecture which has replaced a demolished and previously unified street

With the hostile take-over of Hilliard's in 1987, by they supermarket giant Tesco, a large retail space, car parking and Petrol outlet is acquired

The demolition of the Hilliard shop fronting commercial street and its new warehouse build is completed by 2004 with the footbridge concession added soon after

With Tesco’s itself facing financial difficulty; it must be realised that creative solutions by can benefit each other

What we have at the present…

02 Shop to let Greggs Lloyds bank Shop to let Boots Card factory Shop to let Coral B shop Pawnbrokers charity shop newsagents Shop to Let shop to let  Tesco and footbridge Clothes shop Frozen foods Betting Shop pound shop Specsavers Shop to let Penny arcade Arts Initiative from Shop to Le Entrance to 13 shops to let

We have 10 empty shops on Commercial street and the Town Square with a closed Police Station

..an empty and impoverished High Street

…and 13 empty units in Alfred’s Way Arcade

Beginning a Strategy for Success… Local Government and the

Sustainable Communities Act 2007 (2010)

David Cameron’s stated aim in the Conservative Manifesto of 2010 was to create a climate that empowered local people and communities, building a "big society" that would take power away from politicians and give it to local people.

The Sustainable Communities Act of 2007 (Amended in 2010) which is to put in place the ability for local voice and initiative to be heard and implemented, enabling greater input into local jobs, facilities and initiatives

Local government is obligated by law to listen to its local citizens, even if they are in need of technical facility which should then be provided; local voices should then be guided though not steered by this technical involvement

Latent Skills and the Inter-cultural…Interested parties will be sought for a completed inclusiveness

Inter-cultural; A point perspective but with meeting and exchange

These latent skills must be discovered; green shoots must be identified and nurtured. They abound in all areas and regions, a strategy should be made to discover them The local voluntary sector shows an abundance of care and consideration, Vintage Days, local festivals and celebrations show a willingness to participate

Positive building blocks are in place, it remains to be recognised, nurtured and built upon

Interventions and opportunitiesCutting the Mustard…

A multi-layered approach must be utilised; activities as well as types of involvement which must include commerce and trade

Static shop-fronts are not enough, we need activity and real use

Tesco’s must allow greater flexibility and encourage back local enterprise which retains wealth in the local area

‘Art’ endevours then have a far greater scope for success and longevity. They will compliment and attract outside footfall and dynamic

Examples of involvement…a shaped and nurtured environment

We should seek out creative enterprises, creating a mix which is then sought out.. From a creative solution working backwards, so to speak.

Local graduates (Leeds, Bradford & Huddersfield) can be sought out and invited into the units and shop fronts with minimum rents and rates

They are selected after establishing what will make a successful composite whole

These layering's of creative endevour then have a much greater chance of success, attracting those of greater purchasing power

Local residents may find it difficult not to participate, but to purchase, so a consideration to participation must be made

So what are the examples for our Funky Town?

Funk & Punk! Boutiques in the Zone

• Cakes and Bakes..Coffee’s and Cream• Indie clothes, dress-makers and ‘Tee’s’• Leatherman; Bags, buckles and Belts!• Ceramic Tile and Pottery wheel works• Handmade Furniture and home-ware• Fusion Restaurant; Cous Cous- Kiss Kiss• Indie Cinema for day & evening viewing• 3 Studio’s supporting Painting Sculpture and Ceramics• A Workshop Centre to Host Schools and Community

participation with projects run by in-house practitioners• A small office for management of the enterprise

Commercial Street Revisited…. Shops must be busy on our High Street…

…markets trading on our Square

‘Trade with low rents must be encouraged, including a revitalised open trade market within the market square’

• A working Gallery/studio with a creative artist making in-situ.• A high quality local furniture maker; a showroom for settee’s

ottomans and chaise longue.• Homemade confectionary or soaps and perfumes, beads and

jewelry• Trained shoemaker and leather maker• A medicinal/herbal shop of alternative healing

From consultative and investigative need, 5 shops are filled with local enterprise including business support from existing networksAn overview to enhancement and compatibility is undertaken through review and assessment

A Timeline of Operations…

This can tentatively be set at three years of nurturing which coincides with the Creative Scene directive having a similar timescale of implementation

Further layers of operation are needed, including local festivals as well as invited markets; German, French and Spanish visitors and Traders

Rents must be kept to a minimum so that all profits can be retained by the visitors

It is a service and a benefit to the place which must be recognised as such, and not to increase local government revenue!

There will have to be investment by various stakeholders, and/or payment in kind, including local government, established business’s and community groups

Budgets and Costs‘Can’t afford it… can’t afford not too’

Alfred’s Way will need refurbishment as well as a commission for the leaded lights and design along the glass fronts leading to the Petrol Station on the Bradford Road

Rents should be with-held except for minimum caretaking and electric charges and access maximized under consultative consideration

Landscaping and seating to be re-valued although a robust design is in place

Shop-front shuttering should be assessed for a painted design intervention creating a unity and interest when shops are closed

A Runway for success… in conclusion

High rents and networked distribution kill and restrict trade, as much as interest debt and economies of scale

Access to a free market (or at least with minimized rents) is the only solution to local endevour which has been stifled and extinguished over the last three decades

The seeds are there and local talent, endevour and commitment exists

There is a way forward; a degree of selflessness will be needed, with a support network in place to let new enterprise grow and be nurtured