One of the issues most often raised with me by residents of
Newquay are the challenges facing the town centre. Like most seaside towns,
Newquay has faced the challenges of maintaining a vibrant town centre amid the
changing nature of retail.
It is often easy to be negative about the situation we face,
however here in Newquay there has been a number of positive developments.
Recently
the Newquay Business Improvement District (BID) had been named a “Rising Star”
in the Great British High Street competition for its work in Newquay town center. Newquay just missed out on the final but the
judging panel were so impressed by the great strides made in improving their
local high street, in particular the investment by the BID in events intended
to increase visitor numbers and extend the season, that they awarded them the Rising
Star award and £1000 cash.
There is no
doubt in my mind that the Newquay BID has made a positive contribution to the
town. I am sure they will be the first to acknowledge that they have not got
everything right and there is still a great deal of work to do. Therefore, I
was delighted to hear last Friday morning that the Newquay BID has been
successfully re-elected for a second term.
The Newquay BID was formed in 2011 following the first
successful vote by local businesses. The
BID has been in operation since then and has grown from strength to
strength. It has been great to witness
the BID board and management team take an honest look at the issues that
Newquay faces and then execute plans to tackle these issues head on.
I would like to congratulate the Chair of Newquay BID,
Rachel Craze, the board and the Management Team on their re-election
success. I have sought to support this
team since my election and their dedication and professionalism is to be
admired.
Looking to the future, the BID team have learnt lessons from
their five years of experience. I am
sure there will be challenges going forward but I believe it is positive that
their work to date has been recognised and they have been given another 5
years.
I am under no illusion that there is still a great deal of
work to be done to develop the town into the vibrant business and retail centre
we would all like to see. With the likelihood of more retailers coming to the
edge of Newquay in the near future this will add both opportunity as well as further
challenges. I will continue to do all I can to support those who are willing to
take a lead and work together to make a difference.
My team and I are here to serve the whole constituency and
seek to make a real difference to the lives of everyone who needs help and
support in any way.
If there is any issue that we can help you with then please
contact us on either 01726 829379
or on office@stevedouble.org.uk.
