Decision details

The purpose of this report is threefold.  First of all it updates Members on the progress made in achieving the short term Action Plan aimed at maintaining the vibrancy of Fareham Town Centre.  Secondly it proposes some further actions which have emerged since the Action Plan was agreed by the Executive in September 2012.  Thirdly it seeks agreement to the Action Plan continuing to evolve to enable it to respond to emerging challenges.

On 3 September 2012, the Executive considered a report on maintaining the vibrancy of the Fareham Town Centre in the light of the current and future challenges it faces and it approved a short term Action Plan. This comprised a total of 14 actions which responded to the issues identified by local businesses and Town Centre visitors.  They included actions relating to parking in the Town Centre, improving information about the total Town Centre offer, improving signage, developing a strategic vision for the Town Centre, giving it a greater sense of identity and ensuring that the issues identified were addressed in any long term proposals for the Town Centre.

Since September, a number of actions have been implemented and a number of others are in progress and are due to be implemented by the spring of 2013.  In addition a number of other actions have been identified which will help to enhance the environment and encourage visitors to stay longer.

As parking was at the forefront of the issues raised, this was the first area to be tackled.  With effect from 1 November 2012 the £25 penalty charge from the three pay on foot car parks was removed and replaced with an hourly tariff allowing visitors to stay as long as they like.  In addition a new car parking strategy was agreed by the Executive in December 2012 which comes into effect from 1 April 2013.  This simplifies parking policy by introducing the concept of inner and outer car parks instead of short stay and long stay. 

Significantly two car parks, Malthouse Lane and Trinity Street, which were previously short stay will now be designated as outer car parks.  This means that they will be cheaper than previously, and free on Sundays, which will help customers and traders in the independent shops in West Street.  There will be no overall increase in car parking charges in any car park.

Design work is now underway on a dedicated Town centre website which will act as a shop window to the Town Centre and bring together in one place information about all of the attractions it has to offer. It is planned for this to go live in May 2013.  A new strapline is being developed as a marketing tool to accompany the launch of the website.  This will aim to encapsulate what Fareham town Centre has to offer in a few words.

Work on the provision of new location signs is well underway.  This will be in two phases.  The first phase will be the replacement of existing black fingerposts to ensure that they direct people to all of the attractions within the Town Centre area.  The second phase will be carried out in partnership with Hampshire County Council as part of a Hampshire Wayfinding Project.  This will involve the installation of new freestanding “totem” signs at various points within the Town Centre.  These will provide a location map showing all of the different shopping zones, key services, destinations and places of interest within the Town Centre and help to improve its connectivity.

Other actions such as minor improvements to shop facades, providing artwork in the windows of empty shops and developing initiatives to encourage new businesses are still underway.

In addition to the actions already approved, it is also proposed to install some new permanent structures and additional seating and cycle racks within the Town Centre.  A number of different options and locations for permanent structures have been considered and initially it is recommended that a series of tensile canopies is installed in the Portland Street courtyard between TK Maxx and Portland Chambers.  These would be multi functional and could be used by market stalls, concessions, community groups and special events.  It is proposed to pilot this approach during Easter week to test its viability and only to proceed with a permanent solution if this pilot is successful.  Further permanent structures at different locations could also be considered in future in order to enhance the environment and add to the distinctiveness of the Town Centre.  Additional seating and cycle racks will enhance the attractiveness of the Town Centre to visitors and help to increase “dwell time”.

It is proposed that the Action Plan remains an evolving document and that continuing dialogue be held with Town Centre businesses with a view to continually updating it to respond to emerging challenges.  Longer term actions are proposed in the Town Centre chapter of the Development Sites and Policies Plan, the pre-submission draft of which will be considered by the Executive later in the spring of 2013.  Once adopted it is anticipated that a Town Centre Masterplan will also follow on from this process.

(a)     That the Executive note the progress so far in implementing the Town Centre Action Plan approved in September 2012;

(b)     That the updated Action Plan, set out in Appendix A to this report  be approved;

(c)     That a final decision on the type of permanent structure to be installed in the Henry Cort pedestrian area as described in this report, be delegated to the Executive Leader;

(d)     That the Action Plan remains an evolving document to be updated as appropriate and that further reports be made to the Executive as appropriate when there is the need for a formal decision.