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Oswaldtwistle Mills - Shopping Centres / Shopping Outlets & Tourist Attractions in England, Days Out In The UK |
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ossy and over priced :) |
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Darwen has a population of 31,500 so is closer to Accrington in size, what's it's market and shopping centre like? Bury is often mentioned as having a good market/shopping centre with a population of almost 61,000. It's not just the number though, you have to look at the spending power of those people. That is what the retailers look at when they decide if they want to move into or leave Accrington Chorley is smaller than Accrington by about 3,000 but I suspect will have more spending power |
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darwen may be closer to accy in size but darwen dosnt have an abhorant arndale center ,tescos and asda supermarkets
they have just got a morrisons a few years back so the destruction of tehir town center may be in the early stages but up until that point darwens indoor market and side street shops were more than adequate for a town of its size its just a pitty our council didnt realise the same and stopped trying to make accrington to be something it isnt the arndale didnt attract buisness to accrington it simply moved them from broadway into teh arndale and then a couple of years later the big names moved to whitebirk taking shoppers to blackburn |
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think it used to be £1 to get in to see the worlds largest pear drop.
i thought it was a bargain until i was told you couldnt lick it :( |
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I think the name of the mill was Enfield.
My dad was a tackler there for a few years before he retired. Katex would know because she worked at Ossy Mills, but she doesn't come here much now. |
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The Market Hall is getting more and more stalls in it now…
Accrington is a Market Town… I have said it before flatten the Andale ( what left of it) and spend on the Arcade on Warner Street…. We need to be different to the other towns… Warner Street’s got some Nice specialist shops on it… they need to leave well alone with the bus station… and work on what we have…. And the outdoor Market needs sorting… people used to come Accrington because it was different ( I am sure we could get that back again) if the powers that be used their heads and ask us the public what we want…. It’s time to stand out… before we become a complete ghost town… I notice Ossy Mills now have Peacocks in there ( the store ) not the birds.... so will we have a mini what used to be high street in the mill ? one wonders. |
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the powers that be used to come on here and agree that changes needed to be made to improve accrington town center when they wernt in power
since elected no changes,no action and no fresh ideas and definatly no indication of cleaning up the drunks and smackheads unless you count removing benches from town center as acceptable action |
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I read with interest but no surprise at all that 1 in 5 shops is going to be gone from high streets in the next 5 years. In Accy it'll be more.
That story, which is on the news today underlines the permanent change that our society is going through caused by a mix of recession and Internet shopping. The question to be addressed and alluded to by me is what should be done with the empty space. That's what I've been getting at in threads like this one and the one about what can the Mayor do to prevent Accys further decline. All his is opportunity for me because I pickup the broken properties at auction to be fixed/repurposed to residential if required. In general the council needs a funded plan, and I don't believe they have one (they had a plan that was not funded) so what now Hyndburn? |
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Great Harwood Farmers Market |
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Thanks. I will do that and report back.
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Possible also there are more Farms in the smaller places in Hyndburn? On that basis would be fair.
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I don't think the council organise the Farmers Market |
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why pay for your bull when you can go to the twon hall and ask why they have repeatedly lost your paperwork and recieve an abundance of it for free ;) |
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If you spread out the shopping opportunities across the Borough instead of trying to concentrate it in the centre of Accrington it will kill off Accrington even quicker. There is only so much money to be spent so concentrating that spending in one town looks like the only way to make Accrington a vibrant shopping centre. My own view is that ACcrington's current shopping area is far to big for the number of shoppers and should shrink to fit the shoppers. |
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The reason the farmers market is in Great Harwood is because it was started by local business man Nick (might be Neil sorry) Gaskell from Gaskell motors. It was originally on their land but it started to get quite decent so they then had words with the council who supported the move to town gate and who now work on it as a joint initiative.
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Will there even be an Accrington next time I visit?
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The Great Harwood Farmers' Market is now held on Town Gate, the main square in the centre of Great Harwood, on the first Sunday morning of the month - there's one this Sunday. I haven't had chance to go yet but I believe it's very popular! As Gayle says, it isn't a Council initiative although they now have some involvement. There are some residents pressing for a Farmers' Market in Oswaldtwistle but we would have to find a site and it would need someone to back it in the way that Gaskell Motorbodies do in Great Harwood.
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Was the mill facing the Pickups Arms not Clifton Mill? Where Ossy Mills Conference Centre is now?
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People have been enquiring whether the Accrington Town Team is an open forum. Rob Grigorjevs, the Town Centre Manager, said that it included representatives from town centre businesses but that if members of the public had concerns they were better contacting him by phone or e-mail and he would give an individual reply. However, yesterday a local business woman told me she had gone to the recent meeting and - shall we say? - expressed her opinions in a forthright manner!
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As promised I'd like to update folk on the discussions I have had with the council on the Town Plan.
Firstly I had an excellent exchange with the guy in charge of the town plan Rob Grigorjevs. Unlike some other council contacts I've had he responded immediately and fully to the questions I posed, and we had a good debate about the town's issues. This is positive because it is important that the town's leaders do all they can to attract investment into the town, and part of that is creating an environment conducive to doing so. Rob was open about the challenges facing the town given the size of the problem and budgetary constraints that economic realities pose. Half the problem it seems to me is the fact that hard up commercial enterprises in many cases own the historic or important real estate (thinking Arndale, Warner St Arcade, Conservative Club and doubtless many others) but where that is not the case the council is able to make more of a direct impact - such as the Market Hall upgrades, Railway Station/Tesco infrastructure upgrades, St James Churchyard upgrade, Bus station and Blackburn Road improvements. I know the location of the new Bus Station is a contentious issue, but I leave that aside for the purposes of this post which is about what the council can do and is/has done in relation to the former Accrington Town Centre plan. No doubt people will want to shoot me down for saying this but I call it as I see it based on my own experiences. I like what I see from Rob so far, and I have an open invitation to meet with him and other council leaders to discuss town improvement. Opportunities for me are not at all out of line with what the council seeks which is private help to improve the town, so I will take up the offers I have to meet with a range of council folk when I'm next in the UK in early August. I also think it is encouraging that the council's leaders are genuinely interested in feedback on the experiences we have with the many parts of the council. I have many of these both positive and negative and a frank assessment of these will be passed to the councils leaders when I get the chance to meet with them. Summary (entirely from my perspective which is the only perspective I have) would be so far so good. |
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Update on Arndale shops. Textile Direct eventually closed down a few weeks ago. One that suprised me this morning is the Gold shop next door has also closed, apparently a couple of weeks ago.
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The Market Hall and Market is getting more footflow... in fact the Market hall is almost full
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The market hall's an empty, echoing shell, a mere shadow of the lively, bustling place it once was. Like the open market, the council decided to meddle with predictably disastrous results.
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Shopping in Accy is like shopping in a ghost town. Cannot believe what is happening to the Arndale.
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We need to be back to basics, all in it together, starting at grass roots, finding the right mix, willing to join in, less selfish and wanting to improve our lot, before anything useful can ever be done. I'd help but I'm tired from trying to think of all the phrases that supposedly would get us enthused about the situation. |
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and when all is said and done...there is more said, than done!
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Especially on this forum.
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I know the forum well enough to know that most folk here get a form of empowerment from the mix of collective whining / pack dog mentality / criticism of anyone under 50. You can call that a "community" if you like but I see it more like a substitute for the Samaritans helpline and corresponding reduction in the burden on social services.
My question to the pack dogs is this - what have any of you done to improve Accrington town? I am genuinely interested to hear it. I'm thinking here about those of you who may have started a youth club, or a counselling service. Less at least was upfront enough to say he couldn't be bothered to do anything about the town - fair enough. What of the rest of you? Yes Arndale is a dump, but it won't magically fix itself. |
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What have I done to improve Accrington? Paid a fortune in local taxes for a lot longer than you. Used my electoral power more than you to empower others to look after the towns interest. Employed more local tradesmen than you. Spent a lot more money with local traders than you. Financially supported more local appeals and charities than you. Oh and a few years ago I actually did put some shifts in as a samaritan. Notice a pattern here..helping the local community without any expectations of gratitude, remuneration or bragging rights. I've earned the right to whine, moan, complain and criticise. You may have single handedly paid millions in UK taxes by employing twenty people and spending 21 years in various banks, captured, prosecuted and jailed the mafia and IRA, and busted the Colombian Cartel armed only with an HSBC anorak and biro..but...what have you done for Accrington that didn't involve profit for yourself? |
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Not much, but then its not my town. Haven't profited at all from Accy. I have brought new businesses into the town that otherwise wouldn't be here, and they do employ real people. You won't find me moaning about it though.
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Why would yeh moan about it? Yer intention is to make money from yer investments, Yer only playing a long game, nothing more, but constantly telling folk what good yeh do.:rolleyes: nearly 7 ft of bull.
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Perhaps instead of being so quick to slate off people who have watched this disintegration, you took some time to read this thread properly to get a feel of what the town centre used to be like, then you may just understand why we bitch and whine about it. And why we have very little truck with people who try to tell us to get off our collective behinds and do something about it. You mate, are where the rest of us were 30 years ago...been there, done that, have the t-shirt. |
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occupied : We know it is not liked it used to be: however since there is nothing in the arndale, we are getting more foot flow: |
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Fair enough, I would hope the increased footflow is reflected in takings. I go in 3/4 times a week n always seems the same to me.
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You only think you know them. We ARE a community. We help one another in times of need. I am one of those people who would(and do) go out of my way to help people...but I am not about to trumpet my charitable/community/helpful deeds on here. That isn't what you do......it is offensive, big headed and totally wrong. Many of the evils of this town stem from situations beyond the control of us...the little people(in terms of influence that is). Maundy is a charity...and I guess you would applaud what goes on there....but in reality it has brought harm to the town centre......being charitable doesn't bring in the rich people...in brings in more people with very little in the way of influence. Local politics has done for us too...especially the politics of Power - Think TESCO. The people in politics sell us out for what they think they can get, without one thought for what there thirty peices of silver will ultimately do to the town. The general financial situation...of which you have been an integral part, has not helped either. There is much less money about...and what money there is doesn't come to the impoverished North. You make very sweeping statements about the members of this forum without knowing anything at all about any one of us. It must very good to sit in your ivory tower and pontificate about what you think of us. YOUR opnion doesn't define me.(or for that matter any one of us on here) If you live to be 100, you will not give to this community what I have given in my 30 years of a career. |
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Thing is there a quite a few members on here that have contributed greatly to the town oer the years FACT. But unlike the big head, they do not blow there own trumpets, in fact would be embarrassed to do so. what i have ever done is well known to people that matter, what conclusion non-entities like Singapore joe come too, i could not give a toss.:rolleyes:
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Less, this man reads what he wants to see...not what is actually said in posts. He already has his opinion of us lowly Accringtonian mortals.
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There is one thing I provide for your community. A focal point about which you can collectively rant.
Take Marge the other day for example, she and a few others cloaked themselves while searching the internet for me. I can see the glee at her revelations to the forum of my past. Alas for her there is nothing salacious to reveal there and the conclusions were and remain misguided. Did however allow you to rest your broomstick for the afternoon. Remains the case though that your focus on me doesn't help the town much. To the actual thread topic, maybe a few questions might assist: 1) Who's recently sat down with Accrington's town planner Rob Gregorjevs. If so what came of it? He seems like a reasonable bloke, works in the Market Hall, and is open to meeting folk. Why not talk to him? 2) What about Dave Welsby? Same question. 3) The council meets with key stakeholders in the town on a regular basis. Who here is represented? Seems you're all keen to voice your negativity towards me, why not channel it at the people who are charged with the town's upkeep? As you've got the t-shirt can you tick boxes 1-3 ? |
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The planners n such people right or wrong are at least trying to do summat positive fer accy, unlike yerself who is only interested in making money,blowing yer own trumpet, :rolleyes: no matter what bull yeh put on here it don't wash wi me.
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Our lives would be meaningless, having managed without you for so long it really is good to have someone onsite to give our lives meaning. By the way there have been others of similar ilk, they come they stay a short while find that their initial reason for joining the site has been sussed, in your case it was I suspect to glean free local knowledge about properties up for auction, much cheaper than employing someone to do the job. The time you soured the pot was when you attempted to tell us we do nowt' of value, say nowt' of value and know nowt' of value compared with you. |
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Your interests in this fine northern town are purely business - that means you are in it to make a profit......not for philanthropic purposes.(nothing wrong in making money, especially if you employ local people as you so often tell us) We can exercise our democratic rights when it comes to local elections, but that, for many of us, is where our influence ends. We cannot compete with the likes of TESCO. Meeting with the town planner - when you are just a person who lives in the town and uses the services...but do not trade...well, our opinions count for little.(no money in it = no mileage for user consultation) Many of the big decisions about the town centre are 'rubber stamped' and regardless of public opinion will go ahead. The proposed new bus station is a prime example of this. Of course you won't see any of this as constructive criticism, you will perceive it as whining and whingeing....because it pleases you to do so. |
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2) Same answer 3) Again if you'd care to actually read a few threads you would perhaps notice we have done. In fact if you look closely you may see one or two councillors reading the threads, unfortunately when it comes to the town centre they stopped engaging because they could not find arguments to support bench removal, bus upheaval, drunks, beggars, wallpapered shop fronts and jerry built paving of the pedestrian areas. And please stop using that name, they've both asked you politely, be a man for god's sake, respect the ladies wishes, it's something people in the North just do! |
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Guinness, this man will not listen to you. He respects nothing...other than, perhaps, his own views.
By calling Margaret R and myself, Marge it must give him some feeling of control or power.......and to me that is just sad. Calling us both Marge leads to confusion, because there is only him who knows which one of us he is on about - unless he posts a quote, that is. I have asked politely...he has not acceded to my request. He seems to think, that I have, in some way disrespected him...and sees this as my punishment. (sigh) |
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What about Asda, Kwik Save, Aldi, Lidle, Netto, Homebase, B&Q, Currys, Comet, PC World and all the others. Do they not have their place in the end of Accrington? |
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Don't get it off me.;) in fact i reckon the biggest factor now is the internet.
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well Neil, they didn't have much clout in town did they?
Aldi........well, that has only recently come to the fore......Asda....that is a good walk out of town...especially if you have no transport and a baby in a buggy with a weeks shopping to do. We haven't had Kwik-Save for quite some time. If you want something from Curry's it is a damned long walk. And didn't TESCO bung the council some wonga.....on the understanding that the bus station was nearer to them. Of course the internet has had an influence, but then so did the pedestrianisation of Broadway,the fact that both the market and the market hall are a travesty...and do not deserve to be called markets...and the fact that the town trades on it being a 'Floral Market Town'. The place has been left to rot...it is no wonder people resort to the internet. Shopping is a tactile experience, and experience of sights and smells....that is where the internet cannot compare. Other places have vibrant markets, diverse shops. Why might this be? Bury is in the shadow of Manchester, but it manages to hold its own very nicely...with some good independent shops and a thriving market. |
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dunno but theres only one asda in hyndburn or aldi it just seems tesco are taking over. mind you teh nexttime HBC or LCC want to take a bribe can they at least think bigger than a mini roundabout please .. and i dont mean a large roundabout for gods sake |
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It's very easy to pass judgement when you live thousands of miles away. Try living here day to day and running a business here day today and see if the same people you put up on a pedestal actually work that way :rolleyes:
You seem to have forgotten how the system works. Every 2, 4 or 5 years the people in politics are interested in your views. Every 2, 4 or 5 years they totaly ignore them after being elected. Still as long as you are throwing money around it's the biggest voice anybody can have :rolleyes: The town centre is a filthy mess and and the people who should lead by example don't give a monkey's |
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We tend to use Asda and Aldi for bigger shops and the Tesco Express in Ossy for bread, milk etc |
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big tesco in Harwood too, so yeah accyman is right
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Close to Morrisons...which used to be the Co-op.......just a stride or three from The Plough.
Yes, Neil you were right about the town and country planning thing...still sounds a lot like a 'bung' to me...yes, I know I am a cynical old bat! I thank goodness that I do not have a couple of children to feed.......I would have to get them used to living on fresh air...for at least part of the week anyway. No way would I be transporting shopping and tinlids in a taxi...they would get a bag each and we would walk it back to Clayton. |
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Lancsdave - I sort of do run a business in the town day to day in that I employ a firm that works full time on properties in the town. Handimen, plumbers, electricians. If it works out we'll expand. I am in touch with it daily.
I've found the councillors to be open, honest and welcoming about the towns problems in the emails we've exchanged, and I look forward to meeting them at the end of the month. Not all of the towns troubles can be solved them. Arndale is obviously one of the biggest, but its privately owned, and I'm guessing by a company that cannot afford to fix it (serious money in fairness). Same with the Conservative Club. The Victorian Arcade at Warner also privately owned. Easily acquired for £300k but not a viable prospect for anyone I think inc. current owners. |
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And didn't TESCO bung the council some wonga.....on the understanding that the bus station was nearer to them.
I think I am right in saying... that HBC could have sold the bus station to spot on or who ever were the big boys at the time.... and they would have done up the old bus station... makes one wonder : why they did not do that: |
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We were asked what we did to remedy the situation........and I told this chap that our influence ended with a cross on a voting paper. So you have just confirmed what I said. |
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My only financial contribution to them is about £600 in building inspector fees. Arguably there's 3 less buildings to serve repair enforcement notices on, which saves them some time and money. Might buy a few lunches but doesn't grant me and privileges of access or policy.
They seem open to suggestion and discussion, but as is well known here I take people as I find them. Seems there's a lot of negativity towards Tesco, why? Cleared up what looked like a derelict site, and there's been a lot of works put in to upgrade the road system around it. What's not to like? |
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I too am open to suggestions, where can we meet? (See there are times when even I can be bothered!). Quote:
Not to worry though, we do know you to be altruistic you are continuously telling us, if that is you have a spare moment from calling us. :) |
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I don't mind sparing with you Less but sticking to the thread subject I just think the town can do better. It's worse than most Midlands towns and I'm curious why. The obvious difference that I see is the number of people high on substances wandering around during the day. Maybe you are used to that seeing it day in day out to the point where you accept it as normal, but it was shocking to me (although I don't normally venture so far south. Accrington is a long way from Newcastle).
Sure you get pockets of that in Northern towns, but its not endemic like it is in your town (except maybe Hull). Terrible housing stock also likely unhelpful to the town. |
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As for people high on substances, we are lucky enough that one of the investments that took place in the town was Maundy Grange, which made us the sink hole for other towns evicted. I, like many others avoid the areas these people congregate, e.g. around the outside market, in the inside market, and generally begging around the town hall, if that is, they aren't urinating or defecating in a nearby alley, though they don't go there to throw up however, that is worn on their chest like the badge for some elite club. So you see, although it may appear that people from Accrington are like that, usually it's someone that was dragged up elsewhere and came for the charity. :o |
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:) http://i492.photobucket.com/albums/r...at_popcorn.jpg |
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The question is what do you do about it ?(In practical terms) Maundy is the magnet for these people and there are many in the town(businesses who see nothing wrong in this charitable venture) proclaiming their support for the organisation. They do not see that the presence of these people is both intimidating and off-putting, and as such, detrimental to business in general. It is very easy to tell us what is wrong, but coming up with workable solutions is quite another thing. |
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Just been n the Morecambe Arndale for the first time in yonks. It's about the same size as the one in Accy and I was pleased to see that nearly every unit was occupied and there was a decent footfall or seemed to be.
New Look has gone, to be replaced by a large Poundland, Superdrug has gone, and Bright House has replaced a jewellery/accessories shop. Otherwise much the same. Euston Road next to the Arndale has about half a dozen charity shops but they are good qualty and don't detract from the area. So all in all I was glad to see that on this evidence at least Morecambe is on the up. Long may it last! Oh yes - we still have traffic lights too... |
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I won't hold my breath waiting for that event.
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I didn't see any renovation activity at all on Warner Street yesterday when I walked the full length. Thought this was going to be the start of the Accrington rejuvenation?
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No doubt there is someone employed ready to say the footfall on said street has increased, just as they interpreted footfall for the market hall to be an increase even though the chef etc cost money but didn't encourage to buy. |
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That's because it's pretty much done. 2 buildings gone from derelict to brand new (a big job on 1820 properties). That you don't notice as you walk down the street is a good thing - just means we replaced everything in keeping with the rest of the street (a requirement for property within the conservation area of the town plan).
I'll post before and after pictures when completed circa end August. Have also this week agreed a tenancy for one of the buildings before finishing or advertising it, because the people who work on that street do notice. I guess that dispells the board's accusations that I'm an evil money grabbing capitalist. Sorry to disappoint. I'm never going to be single-handedly the renovator of your town, but by end August three buildings will be complete (all from 5 year empty/abandoned pigeon coup state to new) 1/100th of the buildings in the town conservation area, so just 297 to go. |
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Unless, of course, that is how you want us to see you - because that can be arranged. |
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