New team sets out stall to revamp Hailsham
Cllr Nigel Coltman (Con), Hailsham town councillor and former district councillor.
New traffic signs, improved shop frontages and the creation of virtual shops are all part of a plan to revamp Hailsham.
These ideas were discussed at the latest meeting of Hailsham Forward – the recently formed Town Team which aims to bring together key local stakeholders to review the best ways to revitalise the town centre and surrounding urban environment.
People came together to determine the next move in terms of town centre revitalisation at the Diplocks Hall on Friday March 1 and among the attendees were Wealden MP Charles Hendry, local councillors and business associations, economic development managers and stakeholders.
A number of forthcoming projects were highlighted including the introduction of Welcome to Hailsham signs on some of the gateways into the town, to help promote local shopping and leisure facilities.
The tidying up of poorly maintained shop fronts in the town centre was also discussed, along with the establishment of one or more virtual shops in Hailsham, the upcoming launch of the Hailsham Forward website (hailshamforward.co.uk).
The opening of an information kiosk or ‘pop-up shop’ was also talked about at the meeting as part of the process of gathering public and business feedback on a business plan for the town, generating ideas for the future of the High Street and helping market the town centre and outlying industrial and retail parks.
Councillor Nigel Coltman, chairman of Hailsham Town Council’s Business Development Committee and a member of Hailsham Forward, said, “Hailsham is already on the road to regeneration with the opening of new businesses in the town centre in recent months and the development of Hailsham Forward’s town revitalisation objectives.”
“What the Hailsham Forward Town Team now needs to do is to build on those successes and continue to make a real difference to our town. Hailsham is very lucky to have committed local residents and businesses which are prepared to give up their time to make Hailsham Forward work and bring its goals and aspirations into fruition.”
“I am delighted to be working closely with them on a range of new ideas for our town and we are certainly at the beginnings of something exciting and event changing for Hailsham.”
The Hailsham Forward information kiosk is scheduled to open for four weeks in the former travel agents in Vicarage Field in April. The shop will display the Wealden Core Strategy for future planned development around Hailsham,
The Hailsham Forward team sees this as a tremendous opportunity for the residents and businesses in the town to influence and help shape the town’s economic and social future.
The exact date of opening will announced on the Hailsham Town Council (hailsham-tc.gov.uk) and Hailsham Forward (hailshamforward.co.uk) websites in the near future.
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Friday 24 May 2013
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