SEE3 Town Team meeting - 7pm Thursday 30 Oct

[Chris Best]

We are organising a SEE3 Town Team meeting on Thursday 30 October at Here For Good, 17 Sydenham Road at 7pm. The key topic will be the Mayor of London's High Street Fund. Up to £9million is available to support London's High Streets to become even better places to visit, to live in and to do business in.

Funding will be directed to places that have potential for growth and where there is the commitment and capacity for real long-term change. Successful projects will create vibrant, attractive places that underpin good growth.

The fund is flexible around the activities it will support, however it is focused towards places where groups [such as Town Teams] have formed.

The fund is open to Boroughs, Sub-regional Partnerships, Town Teams and Business Improvement Districts, Community Groups, and Charities within London.

The fund would like to see proposals from the following themes, however these are by no means exhaustive, and some examples are listed below;

Proactive Stewardship - Guiding the changes ahead:
• Help form traders' associations and town teams
• Bring together multiple stakeholders to coordinate collective action
• Establish a marketing strategy for a place.
• Deliver physical projects, such as a community hub or garden, that facilitate engagement and around which groups can form.
• Establish a baseline, as a snapshot of current standard and performance, as part of a monitoring regime or regular health checks.

Stimulating activity - Designing High Street to attract people
• Improve the look and feel of places
• Develop events and attractions, such as festivals or street markets
• Provide better wayfinding and signage
• Help with Licencing issues that can hold back use of the pavements by cafes, restaurants, shops and community activity
• Help traders, budding entrepreneurs and community groups to embrace digital technology

Occupying Empty Space - Ensuring a diverse and desirable mix of uses
• Explore Town Centre Investment Management models such as real estate investment trusts and joint ventures to pool and manage property
• Make it easier for businesses to find premises and move in
• Explore and exploit the evening economy
• Use empty premises for flexible workspace, pop-up shops, crèches, cafes, learning or making space.
• Create temporary uses for empty sites awaiting development.
• Establish Community food growing projects on unused public spaces.
• Ensure usable ground floor space in new developments, that makes a positive contribution to the street.

Accommodating Growth - Recognising the role of High Streets in Development and Intensification
• Defining a High Street vision
• Shaping New Development on or around the High Street
• Supporting High Street Investment Companies, Joint Ventures, and real estate Investment trusts that are well placed to pool, manage and redevelop property and deliver housing
• Making better use of spaces above and behind shops

If you are interested in discussing a bid for the area then please come along on Thursday and share your views on what next for the high street.

[leenewham]

Here is a link to the prospectus for more info.

http://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/ ... pectus.pdf

[Joanne]

We are organising a SEE3 Town Team meeting on Thursday 30 October at Here For Good, 17 Sydenham Road at 7pm. The key topic will be the Mayor of London's High Street Fund. Up to £9million is available to support London's High Streets to become even better places to visit, to live in and to do business in.

Funding will be directed to places that have potential for growth and where there is the commitment and capacity for real long-term change. Successful projects will create vibrant, attractive places that underpin good growth.

The fund is flexible around the activities it will support, however it is focused towards places where groups [such as Town Teams] have formed.

The fund is open to Boroughs, Sub-regional Partnerships, Town Teams and Business Improvement Districts, Community Groups, and Charities within London.

The fund would like to see proposals from the following themes, however these are by no means exhaustive, and some examples are listed below;

Proactive Stewardship - Guiding the changes ahead:
• Help form traders' associations and town teams
• Bring together multiple stakeholders to coordinate collective action
• Establish a marketing strategy for a place.
• Deliver physical projects, such as a community hub or garden, that facilitate engagement and around which groups can form.
• Establish a baseline, as a snapshot of current standard and performance, as part of a monitoring regime or regular health checks.

Stimulating activity - Designing High Street to attract people
• Improve the look and feel of places
• Develop events and attractions, such as festivals or street markets
• Provide better wayfinding and signage
• Help with Licencing issues that can hold back use of the pavements by cafes, restaurants, shops and community activity
• Help traders, budding entrepreneurs and community groups to embrace digital technology

Occupying Empty Space - Ensuring a diverse and desirable mix of uses
• Explore Town Centre Investment Management models such as real estate investment trusts and joint ventures to pool and manage property
• Make it easier for businesses to find premises and move in
• Explore and exploit the evening economy
• Use empty premises for flexible workspace, pop-up shops, crèches, cafes, learning or making space.
• Create temporary uses for empty sites awaiting development.
• Establish Community food growing projects on unused public spaces.
• Ensure usable ground floor space in new developments, that makes a positive contribution to the street.

Accommodating Growth - Recognising the role of High Streets in Development and Intensification
• Defining a High Street vision
• Shaping New Development on or around the High Street
• Supporting High Street Investment Companies, Joint Ventures, and real estate Investment trusts that are well placed to pool, manage and redevelop property and deliver housing
• Making better use of spaces above and behind shops

If you are interested in discussing a bid for the area then please come along on Thursday and share your views on what next for the high street.

I think you should provide a full evaluation from the first bid, Portas Pilot SEE3 before suggesting another one.

Last week SEE3 advertised a communications meeting on STF 8 hours before it was due to take place. It’s not surprising that there are problems.

SEE3 posts hardly receive any hits here. One potential reason is because you don’t listen. Just go off and do your own thing which is not backed up with experience.

[Maria]

Wow.... that's an amazing comment and reply, Joanne!

You must be either extremely thick skinned, or wholly deprived of self awareness and/or, if you forgive me, not very bright in the least.

The number of either rebuffs or criticisms you regularly receive here should, surely?, but now have taught you that it is not what you say, it is the way you say it that matters when it comes to creative and effective communication in general. I read in one of your posts addressed to one of our writers that you ignored two of his direct messages as they are provocative and criticising...

So what do you call that message you posted here addressed to Chris Best? Mind you, to call it provocative and criticising would not be in any way appropriate in this instance: I would go more along the lines of arrogant, aggressive, rude and inept. Now, if I was Nigel, I would at this stage elegantly wish you a good day (as he does) but in this context I would have to add - have a good day writing to other forums, insulting different people, reflecting on the impact you have on those around you, and perhaps... consider move to another area, maybe?

[Joanne]

I haven’t intended to cause offense. Perhaps the tone was blunt? So will make you aware that I have Aspergers which may provide some insight into how I respond.

At the end of the day though I only stated facts.

And why not? It is SEE3 who have failed to be accountable, communicate or keep us informed well.

They have left themselves open to be challenged really.

[Tim Lund]

We're all open to challenge.

It would be nice just to find out things we could do within our time constraints and capacities.

[Joanne]

We're all open to challenge.

It would be nice just to find out things we could do within our time constraints and capacities.

Do you mean SEE3 should let us know what we could do to help?

[Tim Lund]

We're all open to challenge.

It would be nice just to find out things we could do within our time constraints and capacities.

Do you mean SEE3 should let us know what we could do to help?

Well, yes, but I suspect you are asking it either thinking that SEE3 ought to be doing more to let us know how we can help, or thinking that SEE3 is not an organisation you'd want to have to deal with.

This may be a bit far fetched, but a parallel between attitudes towards SEE3 and the EU just occurred to me. It's reasonable enough to be critical of either, but both exist, and for reasonable purposes, so it doesn't help for immediate practical purposes to go on and on about them. The EU doesn't control Europe, and nor does SEE3 control Sydenham Road; if we think we have something to contribute to Sydenham Road, then we can just do it, without having a go at SEE3, whatever we might think. Apologies for blowing my own trumpet for a minute, but to illustrate what I mean, I just gave the SEE3 organised Halloween event this Friday a bit of publicity. It doesn't mean I'm for or against SEE3, any more than accepting it as a fact of life means I'm for or against the EU.

I do think SEE3 could do better letting us know how we can help - and maybe it will.

But if you'd rather have nothing to do with SEE3, then no one is forcing you to.

[Joanne]

I think it would be helpful if SEE3 showed some form of acknowledgment that they have listened to the feedback and ideas posted on this forum.

If they joined the discussions- there have been plenty of positive ideas shared by forum members- it would help their cause.

This should be a collective cause- a shared responsibility to improve our local area

Instead they post in isolation, which I think resembles how they have ended up operating possibly?

They are failing to engage us- their posts do not create a lively discussion, bouncing ideas etc. Hardly anyone even bothers to read them.

It’s frustrating because there is clearly a lot of good will here, people are interested and appear to want to get involved and contribute- ideas and sharing of skills

[Rachael]

This thread has been viewed more than 650 times. The number of replies does not reflect the number of people who have read the thread. Posts that are announcements (from anyone, not just SEE3) rather than calls for discussion usually get plenty of views but few replies, which seems fine to me.

[Pally]

We're all open to challenge.

It would be nice just to find out things we could do within our time constraints and capacities.

Well I agree with that. Sadly I think the other post from SEE3 re the meeting which was I think meant to motivate, probably put a few people off completely as it was like a full job description including "leading" on specific projects etc. I understand the need to ensure people are aware of what being involved entails but hitting them straight between the eyes with that lot was probably not the best way to encourage attendance. What a shame

[Joanne]

This thread has been viewed more than 650 times. The number of replies does not reflect the number of people who have read the thread. Posts that are announcements (from anyone, not just SEE3) rather than calls for discussion usually get plenty of views but few replies, which seems fine to me.

I understand. But they hardly get views.

That's the pattern from outset to present.

Whatever the reasons: they are not engaging us.Unless members reply to their posts- they go pretty much unnoticed

[Pally]

I haven’t intended to cause offense. Perhaps the tone was blunt? So will make you aware that I have Aspergers which may provide some insight into how I respond.

At the end of the day though I only stated facts.

And why not? It is SEE3 who have failed to be accountable, communicate or keep us informed well.

They have left themselves open to be challenged really.

Joanne, having read a number of your posts over the last few weeks, I have wondered if you have Aspergers so am not surprised to see that you do

I do think that your posts are blunt to the point of negating their usefulness because people switch off from the rudeness because they feel angry and affronted. This means that they find it difficult to take on board any valid points being made which is a pity.

I think that on several occasions you have made very valid points and asked appropriate questions which have not been replied to. Several other people have as well. You are right that there seems to be a lot of goodwill which appears not to be being tapped into in any constructive way but I know there may well be things happening that I don't know about.


But that is probably the point, I don't know about them! An evaluation of the past strategy detailing successes, failures, lessons learnt and overarching aims of the next stage would certainly give some context to any future discussions and plans

[Joanne]

But that is probably the point, I don't know about them! An evaluation of the past strategy detailing successes, failures, lessons learnt and overarching aims of the next stage would certainly give some context to any future discussions and plans

Pally's comment above I think summarises well.

His other points about how I respond are also taken on board.

[Joanne]

It would be good to hear how the meeting went tonight.

I would have liked to attend but this week we are setting up a new Pop Up Gallery in SW1.

My thoughts are as follows and hope that I express these well without causing offence:

Whilst I did understand Tim Lund’s SEE3/ EU analogy earlier in this thread, I believe it is important to collaborate.
By this I mean, we need to find out from SEE3 more about where they are at- just as Pally suggested later on in the thread.

Then from this it would hopefully establish a foundation which can be built on, developed further.

Possibly via this Mayor of London fund initiative.

I believe it is vital to create a new Steering Group- here I mean add/ introduce new members, who have useful skills and experience.

Now this might have the chance of sounding negative, but I will try to phrase well and is based on experience. I have read Louise Brooks (SEE3) is opening up a shop towards Lower Sydenham.

‘The shop will be a curated indoor market, with a focus on food and drink. Our first traders in the space will be Aga's Little Deli, Miss Victoria's Floral Emporium, and the fabulous team from 161 in Kirkdale will also be making an appearance.’

My immediate reaction is that the concept lacks clarity. It sounds confused to me. Further the location is not great at all. There are much better empty spaces towards Sydenham Station. Do we need this concept?

From the very outset I have thought that SEE3 have no experience of retail and this may be a further example.

For example I am constantly planning ahead looking for new spaces. And I turn so many down in great areas, high footfall because they are just that too many doors along where people stop going to.

Concept aside, where Louise is opening the footfall is terrible. The previous Pop Up shop experienced that and the ‘Lovely Gallery’ close by, must have experienced this too because they are hardly ever open!

I am quite aware that SEE3 have at all points worked with best intentions and hard. But I believe it is on the whole ineffective. They create gap fillers or add-ons without focusing on the bigger picture, a foundation which would hopefully obtain some sustainability.

So I really hope that they acknowledge their failures, which they somehow manipulate into successes.

But mainly I believe that they should communicate with us more.

Personally I’d like to learn a bit more and I would be very willing to offer help, draw on my experience, skills and genuine interest in trying to improve our High Street.

SEE3 have to stop thinking that they can do this alone and listen, draw on the good will and skills which appear available.

[louisecbrooks]

For clarity my shop is an independent project and nothing to do with See3.

[Tim Lund]

I went, along with maybe 30 others.

The meeting was dominated by reporting back on what had been achieved to date, by Chris Best, Pat Trembath, Michael Abrahams and Jonathan Kaufman, all of whom post on this Forum, so are in a much better position to say more.

There was one comment from someone I'd not seen before about needing a stronger emphasis on social media, which I think most people would agree with.

An attendance sheet was taken, so hopefully some of the new people there will be contacted and given the chance to show what they can do. Meanwhile, here's

SEE3 on Facebook

Twitter

and its Wordpress site

10 hours ago it tweeted the Hallowe'en event this evening

[louisecbrooks]

The SEE3 marketing comms haven't been what they could have been, but with organisations reliant on volunteers, not only to carry out the work but also to lead sometimes things can fall short. But there is now an attempt to drive the comms forward, and with new volunteers like yourself Tim they will hopefully improve.

Although the map was only recently tweeted, the event poster was posted around a week or so ago and it did go into the newsletter this week. Information for the Forest Hill events was available earlier and so was shared earlier. Although there is SEE3 involvement the halloween event is largely organised by the Sydenham Traders steering committee I think.

Its very easy to SEE3 bash, but can I remind you that you are all in a position to join the group, get involved and drive forward the change you want to see.

[KM]

I find Joanne's constant rudeness and put downs infuriating. Please Joanne, stop the sniping, your posts, (which I used to find offered another differing view as well as a lively discussion), are losing (have lost?) credibility.

[Annie.]

I would like to see what Joanne can do.