Downtown
Organisation,
46 Rodney Street
Liverpool L1 9AA UK
An independent, non-political organisation, working towards the creation
of an exhilarating, metropolitan, 21st century Liverpool
info@downtownliverpool.org
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April 12th 2005
Liverpool eDigest
Hello
Downtowners,
This year sees Liverpool celebrating the Year of
the Sea as part of national celebrations to mark the 200th aniversary
of Nelson's victory at Trafalgar. 2005 is also the Year
of the Volunteer and, and of course we have 2007/08 fast rushing
toward us, so this e-digest looks at what downtowners can do to help themselves
and others take advantage the 'downtown dynamic'. we also take a look
at some of the initiatives and activities planned for downtowns riverfront.
Downtown
Downtown as shopping mall..
Church St, cleared of its
street traders this month, is soon to undergo a £multi million
upgrade of the environment. One of the suggestions is for a 'Ribbon
of Life' Cllr Peter Millea says that he wants input from anyone with
an interest in the area, shoppers, workers, business or residents -downtowners
should ensure that they do so [contact]
as the initial ideas sound a little kitsch!
..or creative incubator?
To compound the attitude towards legitimate options to derive an income
through trading there have also been attempts to hold companies responsible
for flyposting and to criminalise
skateboarders. Most
things have their place downtown, street trading, flyposting, kids doing
their own thing and even grafitti
can add to downtown
vibrancy! It is only when one or more become overwhelming that it
becomes a problem. We have the annual HUB
festival but surely it is an integral part of everyday, downtown,
urban, life and not just something to 'entertain us' once a year? Sanitised
beyond endurence? Too clean is bad for your health. If
we tidy the place up too
much it may just dissappear down the plughole!
Hotfoot down to downtown
Hope St
The Hope St Association,
who campaign for regeneration and cultural growth, organise the Hope
Street festival amongst loads of other brill downtown things have
arranged a very special concert for their 10th anniversary celebration.
The theme is Liverpool's maritime heritage, with music ranging from Handel,
Henry Wood and Kachaturian. A specially commissioned new work from composer
in residence, Richard Gordon-Smith, based on the sea poetry of
John Masefield. Not to be missed!
The Phil want to hear from
amateur orchestrtal players and adult singers who would like to take part
in this concert, so put down the banjo, turn off the Karaoke machine and
email Minako
Ueda or call 07845 570 277.
Oh, I live in 'The
Royal District'
If trustees of the Royal
Liverpool Univeristy Hospital do decide to vacate the site they currently
inhabit then just imagine what a fantastic high-density top grade urban
neighbourhood the complex could make? Reinstatement of a road layout,
demolish a few small buildings, crack-in ground floor commerce and upper
level offices along with tons of residential and, hey presto - one
dynamic district!
It is essential that such a facility stays downtown. Instead of
paying tens of millions to demolish the present buildings and hundreds
of millions to build and relocate, they could always stay where they
are? If not then we feel that selling the buildings to a developer
for a large sum would not only be best for the health authority but would
provide downtown with a fantasticly genuine metropolitan district!
Turn
that telly off!
Campaigners who object to televisions in social settings are planning
a mass switch off during this months 'National
TV turn off Week'. David Burke, campaign co-ordinator for
the U.K said "it eats up the social time of well educated people
who should be having conversations when they go out". Sympathisers
across the Bay Area may wish to join in?
Competing with the racket of TV though, is not really an issue downwtown
- overwhelmed as it usually is by the incessant 'background music'
played at full blast in too many establishments, even the giant goggle-box
in Parker St is often drowned out by sounds eminating from a newby
music emporium!
Or maybe, actually, leave it on
We hope that you have been watching the brilliant series 'Around
the WORLD IN 80 Treasures' by Dan Cruickshank. The piece about the
Trading domes of
Bukara was fascinating...,
'enterprise, its in the viens'..'nearly broken by the 20th century'..
'trade is coming back to life'! Sounds just like Liverpool?..the
difference is that leaders there have an understanding of the fundamentals,
whereas it seems that in Liverpool ours have forgotten (see article above
about 'trading' now being illegal in a trading street!
In a recent article for the weekend's Daily Mail, Dan Cruickshank
never gave any mention to Liverpool in his
favourite treasures in the UK...what?
the WHS!
Downtowners
doing it for themselves
There
are a host of institutions out there (with lots of money and support to
give you) to help you set up a business, get funding for groups, tap your
creative potential or get a community initiative off the ground. Whilst
major institutions may be considering taking a specific approach to downtown
issues it is the abundence of small
stuff that will make things really work, and eventually leads to all
of the major things the institutions are obsessed with (what's the Liver
Bdg for?) so why not make the jump and do something for your sector,
your neighbourhood or community? Some things are set out below
to help you start.
Waterfront Business Association who help run downtown's Duke St areas
association have resources to help entrepreneurs in other downtown neighbourhoods
set up groups too. developing groups that can fight your corner, arrange
get togethers and networks and generally improve the environment are essential
if downtown is to really take off.
The
New
Entrepreneur Scholarship is open again to applications to those needing
help to test their business ideas. Call Carol Crosby on 0151 227 1234...it's
a very good initiative.
A few other sources of help for downtowners would include Business
Liverpool or try Liverpool
Chamber
icliverpool - MSIF- Greater
Merseyside Enterprise - Business
in the community.
Adventure
Capital Fund is back on stream soon so
check out the Local Investment
Fund for details on this and other initiatives.
Liverpool City Council have whole teams geared to help you establish and
develop business,
creative, community
and social enterprises, organise groups and find possible sources of
finance. And
of course, we have the Culture
Company.
For those looking to enhance their creative talents in some way you
can also check out what Novas (Liverpool
office)- LCAD - FACT
- Open
Eye have to offer. There are lots of organisations that provide creative
help, contact ACME who sign
post people to the right groups.
All Councils for Voluntary Services around the Bay Area (Knowsley CVS
seem to be especially 'intelligence rich' here 0151 489 1222 or email)
have a 'Funder Finder' service that is available to anybody to access.
Call yours to book an appointment.
Our suggestion is to try to avoid grants from the major bodies, EU or
government programmes directly as as they are notorious for slowing down
project development and worst of all making groups 'bend projects' to
fit their criteria. Keep them as an avenue of last resort. Much better
are private sponsorship or donations, the smaller grant givers or even
holding charged events to raise money. We need initiatives that really
tap our downtown potential and peoples creativity, not more of the type
that keep the bean-counters employed!
Everyone should keep in mind that Downtown Week
(5th-12th June) is all about self help, intended to work as a critical
mass of independent downtown initiatives. So put something on or even
just simply get downtown during the week and encourage everyone you know
to do so too. Just getting on and doing something to get more folk downtown
and make things grow is the primarary objective. It is an opportunity
to show how things can happen through independent action in a growing
downtown.
Get the boss of your case...go solo
A nice way to finish this section on helping yourself is this interesting
piece of research that has been raising a few eyebrows, but we tend
to agree with the basic points of the findings. Dr
Daniel Nettle of the University of Newcastle has found that those
who are happiest are the self employed. Pressure and anxiety of the
independent is just never as bad as pressure and anxiety when lost inside
the large conglomorate, or in poverty, or on the dole! He
is shortly launching a book entitled
Happiness based on his finding shortly.
So
our message is just go out and do it, the rewards (and the stress) are
worth it.
Speaking of which please help local entrepreneur
Candice Fonseca who is setting-up an exciting new option for food
retail in downtown Liverpool by downloading
her excellent questionnaire [126kb Word doc] from our website,
and returning it to her. Thanks!
 Going UP! Beetham West Tower credit: Uniform |
|
 Remnants of the original liner terminal |
|
5th-12th June 2005
City
Retour La Ville
A quick reminder that the British Urban Regeneration Association
are planning are study visit to Lille, last year's Capital of Culture...sure
to be lots of fun as Lille is really going places.
Merseytrams
are go!
With transport Minister David Jamieson clearing the last barriers to the
Merseytram project
building is to start in the next few months with trams running
by 2007. All
sounds good, conductors, CCTV, help points, eco-friendly (at point
of use), but it takes 40 minutes to get downtown from Kirkby, meanders
through some of the poorest and lowest-density districts in the city and
fares have not been announced yet.
Trams are good systems in high density, large cities. OR THEY ENABLE YOU
TO BUILD THEM! Does HMRI help the tram to be viable? Will it be an efficient
mode of mass transit for the metropolis
or just another public sector plaything made real?...it remains to be
seen...toot, toot and the best of luck! (who knows; perhaps the tram will
in
the future be able to go Bay-wide as we may see a vital piece of
Bay Area infrastructure reinstated...best of luck with that one too!)
Business
Parks, well known as creative nerve centres
Liverpool Digital ...nice idea to redevelop the wonderful, art
deco Littlewoods Buildings as apartments...trouble is that those
leading the project were adamant that the building 'had to go'. They may
have lost that battle for political reasons but what shenaningans will
they be up to in other departments...downtown creatives beware
of inducements to move to dead zones!
Metropolis
Altogether
now!
A new Bay Area-wide charity, called All
Together Now, is producing a magazine to replace Liverpool Echo's
I Can Do That magazine. Organisers
want to hear from community groups and individuals to contribute articles,
photographs as well as help stocking and distributing. Initial run is
50k copies, so quite a big audience Call Tom Dowling on 0151 230 0307
or email
Happy
days and close ties
Colomendy
outdoor activities centre is to undergo a £20m+
redevelopment, having had its three applications for redevelopment
accepted by Denbighshire Council. A mixture of one and two-storey log
cabins as well as the renovation of the historic hall aim to keep the
centre going well into the 21st Century.
The centre has played a vital role in keeping the North Wales connection
close to Liverpool people's
hearts. Cultural, economic and community ties are all back on stream
for dynamic revival! Talking of close ties, Cheshire and North Wales Police
forces are to cooperate much more closely. If this is succesful then Merseyside
police will join in the link. Makes sense, .it's the ground that the criminal
fraternity cover - scallies do 'Bay Area'!
Missing the chance to inspire and rekindle?
News that some in the Liverpool Welsh community are not supporting the
initiative to try and bring the Eisteddfod to Liverpool. It seems
perhaps they are thinking in that closed-in way, one that does no good
to a culture that should be expansive, inclusive and expressive...outward-looking
and proud to take their culture out into the wider world! What indeed
would be a finer and more sure fired way to rekindle an interest in taking
up studies and interest in Welsh culture?
Ecology
and culture initiative takes off (at last)
The
Mersey Waterfront Regional Park is proceeding with its programme.
Potentially excellent initiative. Meetings with downtoners (in previous
lives) a number of years ago discsussed the value of extending the remit
'Bay-wide' At the time Mersey rep assured us that they already had close
ties with Dee and North Wales marine/leisure organisations and where eager
to deepen them. If it comes off it will be fantastic, though amenity and
leisure needs commerce and by looking at one of the core
partners website shows how this absolutely fundamental point is lost,
we see no mention of it. One ice cream van half a mile back in the car
park at Freshfields for tens of thousands of folk, on miles of beach,
just won't do!
Take
the scenic route
With
the tolls for using the Mersey Tunnels having recently risen there's a
chance for you to get through for nothing! Take advantage of the
rare opportunity to ride a bike through the majestic art deco Queensway
tunnel on Sunday 3rd July. The annual
Liverpool to Chester bike ride in aid of charity (this year's beneficiary
is Barnados) Log onto the Healthstart
website or call 0151 707 2566 for an application form and get the family
and workmates to sponsor you.
National/international
We all know
Singapore (or at least we think we do) as the wealthy but sanitised
city of supreme order. Singaporeans though have a profound understanding
of enterprise, how it works, where big money comes from. That's why on
its pristine sidewalks you find thousands of booths, stalls and all manner
of havens that enable people to make money. Many of Asia's top masterfchefs
grew out of such sidewalk emporia. In the UK we think that world class
restaurants magically appear in posh districts, in enterprise savvy they
understand that they usually start on the street corner!
End
Piece
BID-ding
for Power
It seems almost certain that another poll of business will take
place, as to whether to progress with formalising downtown's City Central
BID or not. It would be highly unlikely that anybody would push for
a THIRD vote. Our view is that a second negative vote would be bad for
downtown in the long term, especially when, as is likely, other cities
main districts proceed with them and utilise the POTENTIAL that BID's
can provide to gain advantage over Liverpool, who would still be entirely
at the whim of one or another quango's (with their Euro £m's and
government hand outs) next fancy!
In our view business would lose a valuable tool to enable them to shape future downtown strategy and forward their preferred projects and aims. How do you currently help to shape major downtown decisions? How much of a say did you have over major schemes (CCMS, Liverpool Vision, Paradise, Merseytram, Retail Strategy, Ribbons of Life?) taking place now? Exactly.
We strongly advise that all downtown business, but especially ones in the proposed City Central BID zone, thoroughly check out for themselves the pros and cons with regards to the BID, levies and input that can be gained. A number of current pronouncements seem to be contradictory, to say the least. Check out all of the available info, then you will be able to make an INFORMED choice at the next vote.
"How
do I get the info?"
Insist
that the BID team (all talented and very helpful) help you obtain
as much information that you feel you need to be able to make an informed
decision. Contact the Chamber of Commerce and hassle them to undertake
some deep research. Get on the internet and search through the
hundreds of sites and see what the longer established BID's have been
able to grow. Go through our site's archives, there's TONS of info
on BID's and other downtown development initiatives.
Best
still? Get on the phone and talk to some of the busness in well established
BID's. That is surely the best tactic?... After all, who is most likely
to give you real answers, other than those who actually presently take
part and pay their levies. you would not be wasting your time, as in doing
all this, it will give you the knowledge to ensure that City Central delivers,
if it does go ahead.
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