South Lakes Development Trust

When the registered charity Chrysalis (1053562) was considering how to make the most of their retail potential following an opportunity to relocate their shop activity to a better location, SLDT stepped in to help.

Following a visit to their existing premises in West Street, Wigton and then one to their recently acquired double shop front unit in King Street, our Retail Specialist put together an extensive report highlighting ways to improve the business and maximise revenue opportunity when the retail business transferred to the new premises.

The Trustees at Chrysalis gave the report a resounding ‘Thumbs Up’ - their enterprise officer said Bill’s acute eye for detail means the report has become Chrysalis’ retail ‘bible’. SLDT is remaining in contact with the charity to see if it can provide any further assistance as the business evolves.

Simon Cross is the Enterprise Officer at Chrysalis and can be contacted on 016973 44751 or via email simon@chrysalis-cumbria.co.uk

Age Concern South Lakeland has also previously benefitted from having our Retail Specialist spend time getting to know their businesses in Kendal, Grange and Windermere. Opportunities were identified in each of the three shops, plus their central warehouse, and the extensive recommendations reports highlighted how the organisation could benfit from making changes within the businesses from the shopfront through to the storeroom.

With over 100 shops a day closing in Britain there is a major challenge facing the future vitality of our High Streets.

Television programmes such as ‘Mary Queen of Shops’ undoubtedly help focus on the problems facing the independent retail sector, and the content certainly makes for good television, but what happens when the programme is over?

Our Retail Specialist has been delivering his consultancy expertise, identifying specific solutions and guiding retailers on how to effect positive changes in their business vitality and viability for over 11 years and, unlike Mary (who’s background is in high end clothes retailing) Bill is equipped with a wealth of knowledge appropriate to the reality of those trading in our high streets.

For more information about how Bill can help your business, your High Street or your Town contact him today on bill@sldt.co.uk or telephone 015394 40020

SLDT has won a further contract to work with local people on potential improvements to Kirkland in Kendal.

Kendal Futures has commissioned us to identify which of the ideas generated by the Kirkland pedestrian survey (which you can read here) can become deliverable projects.  These will be tested against local opinion, and action plans drawn up for the shortlisted projects.

This commission builds on the Kirkland Pedestrian Survey,  a people-centred approach to improving public realm from K Village towards Kendal town centre via Kirkland and High Street, conducted in April 2009.  Pedestrian surveys involve local people and organisations in practical on-street sessions to evaluate the quality of streets and spaces through direct community engagement, looking at places through the eyes of people who use public space, rather than those who manage it.

Some ideas that will be looked at in more detail include: improving crossing arrangements; increasing footway widths; giving a higher profile to attractions like the Parish Church, Abbot Hall and the Brewery Arts Centre; improving lighting in yards - and much more besides.

If you would like to know more about this work, or get involved, please get in touch with Paul Holdsworth at SLDT.

SLDT has been commissioned by Eden District council to deliver its Revitalising Retail Programme into Alston.

The programme follows on from the success of a similar programme delivered into Appleby and Kirkby Stephen earlier this year and will help retailers identify opportunities within their businesses that will help reinvigorate trading activity and onward viability.

The 5 phase programme includes ‘First Impressions’ workshops - identifying ways to improve those important first impressions of the business as seen from the street,  and ‘Making Space Work’ - getting to grips with effective layout , merchandising and retail functionality within the shop.

Customer service issues will be covered by a ‘Welcome Host for Retail’ Course which will not only help develop better appreciation of the benefit of delivering good customer service but will help staff understand how to enjoy giving good service and the retail role in developing the tourism opportunity.

An essential element within the programme is the opportunity for our Retail Specialist to visit each of the businesses and spend time identifying ways to maximise business viability, a hands-on session with the business principal identifying real issues affecting the business itself  and identifying cost-effective solutions.

This year has seen the ‘Windermere on Water’ celebration, administered over the last three years by SLDT, evolve into the excellent Lakes Alive programme of events that were delivered across Cumbria in May.

This year Kendal Arts International took the celebrations to new heights and must be congratulated on presenting a world class programme of events.

Visit the Lakes Alive website for further information or view video footage of the events here.

Three participatory workshops have been announced as part of the Waterhead-Ambleside Enhancement Scheme Public Consultation.  Everyone is most welcome.  The workshops are all on Monday evenings at The Kelsick Centre, St Mary’s Lane, Ambleside, starting at 7pm.  The details are:

Monday June 15, 2009 from 7-9pm at The Kelsick Centre - Topic: Environment/Public Realm

Monday June 29, 2009 from 7-9pm at The Kelsick Centre - Topic: Local Economy/Tourism

Monday July 6, 2009 from 7-9pm at The Kelsick Centre - Topic: Transport/Mobility/Parking

Refreshments will be provided.

Your views are important - if you can’t attend please write to:
J Kendall, South Lakeland District Council, Town Hall, Queen Street, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA 12 7ES
Or email: econdev@southlakeland.gov.uk

Last year plans were developed for Waterhead which focussed a great deal of attention on the present condition of this precious place at the top of Windermere, and its possible future improvement.  While those proposals were never intended to be a blueprint for change, they would have enabled a bid to go forward to the Northwest Regional Development Agency for significant improvement to this vitally important location on England’s most famous lake.

Those proposals provoked a great deal of debate locally, proving simply too much for some to contemplate.

Fortunately for us all, South Lakeland District Council agreed to take on the project, creating a second chance to try to win funding for much-needed improvement - of some sort - at Waterhead.

With the spotlight now firmly on Waterhead, SLDC has been able to bring together a bigger, more wide-ranging steering group.  This broad coalition of local groups and others are exploring this sensitive issue once again.  The steering group has appointed consultants TEP to hold workshops, garner local views, and develop three proposals this autumn based on those views.  Once those proposals are published, there will be further in-depth consultation to ensure local opinion is properly considered.  If at that stage there is a decision to continue, the project will still have to compete for scarce funding resources.

You can keep up to date with developments by checking TEP’s website regularly - you can link directly to the TEP Waterhead webpage here.

We will also be posting updates on our own website too - so watch this space.

South Lakeland Strategic Partnership has agreed to fund the first phase of a new retail support programme developed by SLDT.

The initial phase of the programme will see a number of independent retailers in Kendal and Ulvertson benefit from a  ’snapshot’ visit by SLDT’s retail specialist who will then formulate a recommendations report highlighting areas where cost effective implementaion could materially assist in improving the retail vitality of the business.

Later phases of the programme will be launched as funding becomes available with the intention that the comprehensive support programme be rolled out during the year.

The exploration of potential for a Business Improvement District for Windermere and Bowness is moving ahead with the hope that Keswick BID expertise can inform the process here in the south of the County.  Keswick had one of the first BIDs in the country, but there were precious few sources of hands-on expertise about BIDs in tourism-dependent small towns when the idea for the Keswick BID was floated in 2004.

Here in Windermere and Bowness we are more fortunate.  With Keswick having had several years of BIDs experience we are hoping to visit our north Cumbrian neighbours to pick their brains about their triumphs - and setbacks - in the journey towards a successful BID ballot.  This should ensure that - if a BID is right for us - we can work towards it more effectively.

Information about swine flu is available from the NHS as a PDF document here - share the information with your staff and family.

Items for consideration as to how Flu may impact your business is available from Business Link

The Swine Flu Information Line on 0800 1 513 513 will be updated regularly with important guidance as the situation develops.