Families want to be able to enjoy city centre at night too: Cllr Matt Wilcox
Last week saw the final public discussion in Stoke-on-Trent City Council chamber about the shops, businesses, venues and services which make up the 'night-time economy' in the city centre Hanley.
It's been an innovative review for us, carried out in the style of House of Commons select committee 'evidence sessions' and backed by heavy use for the first time of social media – and it has pulled together people of different ages and interests.
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Cllr Matt Wilcox wants to see day-time shoppers remaining in the city after the stores close.
I have first-hand experience of the city centre, as a former DJ and a visitor but it has still been eye-opening to hear about (and see first-hand) some of the things which go on.
There needs to be a better transition between the shops closing and the bars opening. The city centre has shrunk and become less diverse over the past few years and it would be great to see families and people who want to stay in the city centre longer, for a meal perhaps, feeling they could do that and get home easily.
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This will be helped, as we've heard by the central business district bringing more office workers into the city centre and developments such as CitySentral.
People want to be able to eat. The trend nationally is more for people going out to eat than drink. When JD Wetherspoon spoke to us in January, it had just had its most successful ever week for food sales at its city centre venue.
Getting people home quickly and safely has got to be one of the key areas highlighted and we have spoken to those who provide transport, and heard the things the police and ambulance staff witness when people are still on the streets come 5am.
My fellow review group members and I have all been impressed by the amount of voluntary work which goes on, from groups who help to clean the streets (as well as our own street cleaners) or just lend a listening ear, a lollipop or a hair bobble.
The answer is not just to amend opening times. We have heard from bar owners who have said they would struggle to survive were they forced to shut at 2am. But there are schemes like Purple Flag which have worked well in other cities and which would require us to work towards them to gain this accreditation. We've also heard examples of how investment, such as in Burslem, has contributed towards a thriving evening economy for a more mature audience.
The next stage is to look at all the evidence we've heard and put forward some recommendations to cabinet. Your comments, sent via social media, about the use of taxi wardens, electronic promotional signs, encouraging students to display their artwork in empty shops, have all been incredibly useful. There is still a great deal of affection and support for the city centre and its businesses.
9 Comments
by hotdog21
Saturday, March 02 2013, 6:41PM
“Hanley compared to the city's mentioned is small and has little to keep people around in the evening (not that you'd want to nowadays).
And given it's image, it's hard to imagine this changing unless you get rid of the flea-bag dindgy bars, keep out the trouble makers and find a lot of big business names that are willing to invest on-mass, these include big name restaurants, a cinema, comedy clubs, smart attractive bars (not sh*it holes), all of which the big city's have in great numbers.
Good luck is all I can say!”
by Robnoxious
Monday, February 25 2013, 7:01PM
“Good job nobody was drinking on the cenotaph, might not be so happy.”
by stokepotter
Monday, February 25 2013, 6:55PM
“The big cities have lots of large apartments blocks built within the city centre boundaries and that is why you find people who work there, staying later. See for example, Manchester and Birmingham. That is not the case with the towns in Stoke on Trent. This councillor does not know what she is talking about.”
by Jobeeone
Monday, February 25 2013, 6:07PM
“It is a great sadness that anything out of the ordinary is seen as an enemy but this is what we have so we have to work on it. And I say WE not unelecteds on a career path and councillors who can't admit to themselves that they are out of their depth when conversing with these officers.
Hanley is a dump at the moment and no amount of new buildings will change it. It is people that make changes and set trends. We can't keep looking at other citys as an example as we are only classed as a city by deed of royality. We can gain from our cherished 6 towns status if we do it right. If we have the vision. Tourists should be crawling all over the place the amount of history and countryside we have to offer. Not to mention that ay up duck exclusive to us. We need our identity back. How many books have been written about other places this size? Who was our son who designed the spitfire? What creativity is still in our hands that sits all around the globe?
Be proud of who you are or the ******s will ride rough shod all over you.”
by Scooby
Monday, February 25 2013, 5:56PM
“I have never seen one local councillor or MP enjoying (or supporting by spending their money) the city's nightlife or the "cafe" image they so desire. Why can't they lead by example ?
Which one in the picture is Matt ?”
by CpnOatcake
Monday, February 25 2013, 3:50PM
“To be fair, I think Cllr Wilcox is right- in fact I'd say he's hit the nail on the head.
In most other cities in the UK shoppers feel comfortable to stay in the city after they've shopped.
Think for example, Leeds, Liverpool, Leicester Birmingham, etc, all cities we should be trying to compete with. You wouldn't think twice about shopping in any of those places and then staying afterwards for a bite to eat. But would you really do that in Stoke-on-Trent?! I'd argue not many would and that's a great sadness for our city.”
by Jobeeone
Monday, February 25 2013, 3:10PM
“Yo! Go Mel. Spot on and the officers mostly don't live around here so are unlikely to stay for the night life.”
by BucknallMel
Monday, February 25 2013, 2:23PM
“And your assumption that droves of office workers will be flocking in from the fabulous CBD and S*itty Sentral is based on what, precisely? The detailed report by Hans Christian Anderson? Even if they do come to work here there is absolutely no evidence that they will feel any safer or more attracted than the rest of us to remain in the war zone known as Hanley after dark. Go tell your bedtime stories to your kids, Willcox, us grownups don't believe them.”
by Jobeeone
Monday, February 25 2013, 1:09PM
“We still don't trust you love and we still don't want you to move the civic centre. You really don't get it do you?”