Night Time Economy SCRUTINY PANEL

AGENDA ITEM: / Number 4

NTE Scrutiny Report 116/11/18

Night Time Economy SCRUTINY PANEL

18TH APRIL 2007

NIGHT TIME ECONOMY SCRUTINY REPORT

1.SUMMARY

1.1The purpose of this report is to inform the scrutiny panel of progress in taking forward the agreed strategy for improving the Night Time Economy (NTE) of Middlesbrough town centre over the past two years. The report will show that much has been achieved but there is still much to be done. In particular, due to potential changes within the operational and development framework, it is now considered appropriate to review both the strategy and action plan, to ensure they are fit for purpose in achieving a vibrant NTE for Middlesbrough.

2.INTRODUCTION

2.1 After consultation, Middlesbrough Council has agreed to lead on the development of a forward strategy for the enhancement of the NTE of Middlesbrough town centre (outlined in the Scrutiny Report, May 2005). The main aim of the strategy is to enhance the town centre’s economic, social and cultural activities by establishing public and private projects that will diversify evening (5pm-8pm) entertainment and contribute towards Middlesbrough as a visitor destination.

2.2The strategy identified 4 key areas of activity that needed to be undertaken to enhance the NTE:

• to establish a co-ordinated approach for diversification of the NTE;
• the establishment of a Town Centre Diversification Partnership and promotion of private and public sector co-operation towards development and implementation of proposals;
• the pursuing of further cultural/leisure facilities with a particular focus on a theatre, concert hall and additional leisure facilities;
• consideration of banning alcohol consumption outside licensed premises.

2.3The strategy was to be taken forward through the Town Centre Diversification Partnership, consisting of private and public sector members (identified in Appendix 1) and supported by an Officer working group, co-ordinated by the Economic Development team of the Council. An action plan (see Appendix 2) has been produced to take forward the strategy through a series of aims and objectives relating to the cultural, economic, operational, and evolving legislative agendas for improving the NTE.

3.EVIDENCE/DISCUSSION

3.1There are many positive signs of improvement to the NTE of Middlesbrough, and a number of the tasks set out in the action plan have been achieved and/or are in progress. It is considered that there is a long way to go for Middlesbrough town centre to be successful in attracting and competing as a preferred tourist / visitor entertainment and cultural destination. In particular, the following positive and negative factors are impacting on and contributing to the success of the NTE have been identified:

• Middlesbrough still has a general exodus of people at 5pm on weekdays. This is a cultural issue, and is due in the main to a lack of a range of activities in the town centre to persuade people to remain.

• in general, there is a weak general leisure offer for a town of Middlesbrough’s status and a dearth of quality/choice of restaurants in the central town area. This coupled with the lack of a major venue/arena attraction has an impact on Middlesbrough being able to compete as a visitor destination and the towns ability to retain people after 5pm. However, the opening of mima, including the new central square, has broadened the town’s overall leisure offer.

• Middlesbrough now has an excellent opportunity to promote and offer open-air cultural events through the Summer months. A bid to host the National Proms in the Park has been successful and will see the event being held in the town’s central square. This was achieved following a successful pilot programme, hosting a big screen project. These initiatives will enhance the centre square’s entertainment capacity and promote future public event information.

• the tourist / visitor destination and the diversified package offering e.g. (quality restaurant and theatre / concert) still needs further development as a central theatre is still not available. However, an upgrading of the town hall concert facility has taken place and the re-invigoration of the town hall project needs further re-investigation as a central cultural / leisure entertainment location.

• the existing public bars are spatially distant from each other and have a dearth of general entertainment between the hours of 5pm and 8pm. They do not provide a concentrated entertainment offer during the early evening period and do not offer a reason to stay in town after 5pm.

• resources need to be allocated to deliver a programme of improvements to the entertainment offer during the hours of 5pm and 8pm, supported in partnership with private establishments.

• Middlesbrough has an established bar and club NTE and its centre attracts many revellers. It should not be underestimated how alcohol consumption laws may affect this concentration of businesses in the future. In the coming 12 months, some bar owners expect that the town centre may see a reduction in weekend activity, due mainly to late night opening in sub-urban areas of the town centre and people’s changing peoples preferences towards staying local.

• further efforts are being made to establish cultural/leisure designated zones, such as the BOHO Quarter and Linthorpe Central. If these zones are further supported and marketed as a destination experience within the town centre, Middlesbrough should see further investment and improved quality of establishments through the introduction of competition. This will have a galvanising affect and will have a positive impact on the NTE.

• the creative use of public space within Middlesbrough’s town centre needs further consideration. If a café culture is to be created, there is a need to address the use of pavement area’s where café’s and food establishments can thrive. Careful planning and resources need to be considered to develop landscaping improvements within the town centre. Existing examples of such schemes include Linthorpe Road Central, Joe Rigatoni’s restaurant and Blue Lounge brassiere bar, where external use is controlled within a quality and orderly relaxed environment.

• more positively, the town’s late NTE (10pm-3am) is more upbeat with many DJ promoted evenings and an increasingly developing music scene. Middlesbrough town centre is a renowned destination for the national and international circuit of club DJ’s.

• the town’s cleanliness and appearance generally has improved to an acceptable standard due to the concerted efforts of Streetscene and the Street Warden Programme. However, there are a number of operational issues that need to be addressed. For example, police feedback has suggested that the super taxi rank is having problems operating effectively. The quality of the public toilet facilities in the town centre is poor and funding for an improvement scheme has been difficult to acquire. This is an inconvenience for shoppers, including evening/late night visitors to the town. Consequently, this has had an effect on the cleanliness of the town centre.

• the retail sector continues to grow in Middlesbrough and further private investment has been secured, specifically in Middlesbrough’s central shopping malls and precinct areas. However, there are still a number of high street brand names that are missing and thus, a dialogue needs to be developed with these retailers to better understand the economic and social conditions that are required for them to be persuaded to invest in Middlesbrough.

4.CONCLUSIONS

4.1It is considered that there has been considerable progress made so far in putting in place actions to improve the NTE of Middlesbrough. However, there are a number of issues that still need to be addressed if the full potential of the strategy is to be realised. In particular, the closure of the Middlesbrough Town Centre Company and the incorporation of its functions back into the Council provides a logistical challenge. This is to be remedied by the creation of a Town Centre team within the Council and the division of functions previously undertaken by the Town Centre Company into those that are operational (e.g. street wardens; car parking; cleaning) and developmental (e.g. Inward Investment; marketing campaigns; property improvement opportunities).

4.2Responsibility for taking forward the projects in the Action Plan will need to be revisited to reflect the above structural changes and consideration will need to be given as to whether the Economic Development team is best placed to continue to be responsible for overseeing the delivery of all aspects of the Action Plan. It may be that all of the activities are divided into the indicated two strands of NTE operational and NTE regeneration development, thereby allowing appropriate officers to focus on particular areas of activity. Members will receive a further report on the suggested future management arrangements once they are available.

5.RECOMMENDATIONS

The views of the scrutiny panel are sought on:

1)The level of progress in the efforts to improve the NTE as set out in the attached action plan.

6.BACKGROUND PAPER

• Scrutiny report entitled Night -Time Economy dated May 2005

7.ATTACHMENTS

• Appendix 1 NTE Action Plan
• Appendix 2 NTE Group Members List for Partnership and Working Group

Appendix 1:

Town Centre Diversification Steering Partnership

Names / Telephone / Email / Postal Address
Mike Wood – Head of Streetscene / Tel: 01642 729137 / / Mike Wood
Streetscene
Vancouver House
3rd Floor
Brian Glover – Head of transport & Design
Sub: Ian Busby / Tel 01642 728144 / / Ian Busby
Transport And Design Services
Vancouver House
3rd Floor
Graham Strange – Middlesbrough Partnership / Tel: 01622 354018
Emma 01642 354022 / / Graham Strange
Environment
River court
Ground
Ed Chicken – Head of Community protection
Subs Judith Hedgeley / Tel: 01642 728205 / / Judith Hedgeley
Community Protection Service
Vancouver House
5TH Floor
Kevin Parkes – Head of Planning
Subs: Chris Hawking/Joan Mulrine / Tel: 01642 728116
Tel: 01642 728067 /
/ Chris Hawking
Community Protection Service
Vancouver House
3rd Floor
Joan Mulrine
Community Protection Service
Vancouver House
3rd Floor
Mel Ashley - Inspector of Operations M’bro Cleveland Police / Tel: 01642 303207 / / Mel Ashley
North Ormesby Police Station
King's Road
North Ormesby
Middlesbrough
TS3 5AL
Gary Stephenson – Chief Inspector (Operations) / Tel: 01642 303314
Mobile 07736 084411 / / Gary Stephenson
Middlesbrough Police Station
Dunning Road
Middlesbrough
TS1 2AR
Paul Higgins –Licensing / Tel: 01642 303272 / / Paul Higgins
North Ormesby Police Station
King's Road
North Ormesby
Middlesbrough
TS3 5AL
Cllr David Budd
Sandra Cartlidge – head of Economic & Community Regeneration / Tel: 01642 729549 / / CHAIR
Sandra Cartlidge
Civic Centre
1st Floor
Les Southerton – Chief Exec of the Town Centre Company / Tel: 01642 226622 / / Les Southerton
Centre North East
3rd Floor
Karen Shields – Marketing Town Centre Company / Tel: 01642 226622 / / Karen Shields
Centre North East
3rd Floor
Juliet Farrar – Dev’t Manager Cultural Services (tourism) / Tel: 01642 729019 / / Juliet Farrar
Civic Centre
1st Floor
Carmel Ramsay – Marketing Manager MIMA / Tel: 01642 729288 / / Carmel Ramsay
Education And Leisure
Civic Centre
1st Floor
Paul Hutchinson – Sam’s Place / Tel: 01642 243729 / No email address / Paul Hutchinson
Sams Place,
144 Linthorpe Rd, Middlesbrough
TS1 3RA
Avid Hussain - Sam’s Place / Tel: 01642 243729 / No email address / Avid Hussain
Sams Place,
144 Linthorpe Rd, Middlesbrough
TS1 3RA
Peter Broom – Python Properties / Tel: 01642 242997 / No email address / Python Suite,
Royal Middlehaven House, 21 Gosford St, Middlesbrough,
TS2 1BB,
Michael Saddington – Café Sorelle / Tel: 01642
224822 / No email address / Michael Saddington
Café Sorelle 143 Albert Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2PP
Judith Croft – Events & programming Manager / Tel: 01642 729137 / / Judith Croft
Economic Regeneration
Civic Centre
1st Floor
Rias Hameed – chair of pubwatch / 07803 116470 /
Matt Richardson – Mohans bar / Tel: 249893
07836 761845 / / Matt Richardson
Bedford street, Middlesbrough
TS1 2LL

Working Group

Les Southerton Town Centre Company

Karen Shields Town Centre Company

Juliet Farrar MC Cultural Service

Graham Strange Middlesbrough Partnership

Carmel Ramsay Marketing Manager MIMA

Paul Hutchinson Sam’s Place

Avid Hussain Sam’s Place

Peter Broom Python Properties

Rias Hameed Pubwatch

Mike Wood MC Head of street scene

Mel Ashley Middlesbrough Police

Gary Stephenson Middlesbrough Police

Paul Higgs Middlesbrough Police

Judith Hedgley MC Community Protection

Ian Busby MC Transport and Design

Chris Hawking MC Planning

Tony MacdonaldMC Economic Development & Community Regeneration

Appendix 2:

NTE Action Plan Highlights to date in development of Scrutiny Recommendations

AIM / OBJECTIVES / PROGRESS / ACTIONS / RESOURCE NEEDED
Attracting activity & people:
(Juliet Farrar to lead)
Attracting activity & people:
Continued
(Juliet Farrar to lead) / Expand and diversify leisure and cultural facilities in the town centre
Encourage and promote special events in the town centre
Encourage festivals and Evening orientated
events agenda
Encourage a Café culture through promoter led events
Establish
evening
events in new
public square
Promote a more diverse live music offering and festival atmosphere
Developing
Arts people and initiatives
Encourage people into town and town centre living
Combination program development / Cultural Developments
A Continental Market has taken place in December 2006 for 5 days; It has been relatively successful and popular with the stallholders and public alike. There are forward planned future markets in 2007
JF fed back on temporary big screen in town square in Summer, which showed Wimbledon and World Cup. There were no problems reported back but audience development needs to take place – as a first time event numbers were limited. Costing and feasibility are being investigated regarding the option of a permanent Big Screen.
Town square programme & launch being developed to include early
evening activities
Proms in the park bid submitted
Summer events Music Live & Mela held, both festivals went well.
A series of special cultural events have been organised by Cultural Services to meet NTE issues. As a result of these pilot initiatives (dependent on external fundraising) a strategy to develop cultural activity in relation to the NTE is being developed.
These include:
-Come Dance! Event
-24-7 Music in Cafés project
(profiling quality local artists)
-Promoters Fair – event encouraging local music promoters
and organisers to work with local businesses such as restaurants etc.
-Launch of square and mima
trialled the location for future events
strategy (e.g. evening and teatime
events – resources required – events report being compiled)
-expanding key events: e.g. the
Runga Rung event at Christmas – a commission hosted by the Mela Steering Group (Arts Council/Culture 10 supported))
-Music Live – fringe events leading up to the main day, diversifying the music offer in the centre of Town
-Development of the Winter Fest (world music programming) with Tees Valley Arts – evening during March.
-Successful bid to host the 2007 BBC Proms and accompanying successful fundraising = @3200K.
All of the above projects are being reviewed and a report detailing opportunity utilising and promoting Centre Square as a venue is being produced.
Cultural Services’ ’Middlesbrough
Arts People (MAP) initiative holds monthly meetings for people
Interested in the arts agenda and its development. There are now 500 people signed up to this group and monthly events are hosted in town centre locations including restaurants and bars (Linthorpe Road) and mima.
Cultural Services have also -: completed further internal refurbishment of the Town Hall Concert venues. -appointed
Marketing and audience development officers : both
appointments will contribute to
a) encouraging more people to attend cultural offer in the Town centre
b) continue to diversify the cultural offer to encourage new audiences into the Town centre at night
Programme delivered to encourage local business to work with artists to promote salsa nights/poetry nights etc : Cultural Services is developing a number of opportunities with Sponsors Club for Arts and Business / John Hodgson
Juliet Farrar / TBC - None reported
TBC (Big Screen)
Approx £225K (£75K council/ £75K external partner/£75K BBC/Other gift in kind
TBC -None reported
TBC - None reported
TBC – None reported
TBC- None reported
TBC - None reported
Future
resource required
TBC - None reported
TBC -None reported
TBC - None reported
TBC - None reported
TBC -None reported
TBC -None reported
TBC -None reported
TBC -None reported
TBC - currently dependent
upon external funding
TBC - None reported
TBC -None reported
TBC -None reported
Creating a pleasant place to be
(Mike Wood to lead) / Upgrade & maintain the town centre public realm
Produce feasibility study into options for public toilets in the town
centre /

Operation Improvements

Streetscene committed to review and adapt their services to fall in line with any new initiative that may require their input in the future i.e. MIMA, special events etc. High profile patrol undertaken for Music Live events.
Failed to find any funding options for a feasibility study. Research carried out re toilet provision in other towns and cities shows that they have installed urinals, and
public toilets, which are working well with no problems.
Danfo, (recommended by Adshel), can provide free feasibility but it’s obviously not independent and will result in recommendation of their products, but their products look interesting. Have requested pack of information from Danfo – they would be happy to discuss – /

Mike Wood

/ TBC- May require evening presence for streetscape cleaners - ?
TBC
Possibly £5-10K required for feasibility study if did internal,
TBC - None reported
Ensuring a safe environ-ment for all
Graham Strange to lead) /

Reduce crime incidents

Address fear of crime perceptions

Improve street warden prescience
Create super taxi rank along Albert Road /

Draft alcohol strategy produced

Loud Speakers now in place with CCTV.

Bottle bins installed around the town to try and remove potential weapons (i.e. broken glass) off the street.

Street Wardens will have stronger presence following a review of the service. Areas within the town centre will be covered from 11am to 7pm.

Rank created, still needs to be fully embraced by taxis and public - watching to see how develops The taxi rank does not appear to be working, and enforcing it is very difficult without some radical measures such as barriers etc. /

Graham Strange