Making Better Use of the Market Square

Record of Meeting – 12 September 2007, The Square Brewery, Petersfield

Explanatory Note

The Retail and Business Group of Petersfield Tomorrow, the Town Health Check and Action Group, extended an invitation to all who are interested in the Market Square.

“Making better use of the Market Square” was one of the top issues for action identified by Petersfield Tomorrow following community consultation in 2006.

The purpose of the meeting was to identify issues of concern and opportunities for improvement.

The meeting was facilitated by the Retail and Business Group with support from officers from East Hampshire District Council.

The form of the meeting was based on:

1. Delegates’ issues recorded to a big board.
2. Grouping of issues.
3. Table discussion
4. Feedback
5. Plenary

The meeting was well attended with over 30 delegates (Appendix 1).

1. Introduction – Gareth Gammon

Market Square was identified as a priority in the consultation conducted by Petersfield Tomorrow (80% of all local residents agreed that "we should increase the range of activities held in the Town Square” and 74% agreed that "we need to experiment with a pedestrianisation scheme for the High Street").

GG provided a brief description of the role of Petersfield Tomorrow and the "healthcheck" process referred to the terms of reference of the retail and business group. Mention forthcoming business survey (120 businesses). The survey demonstrates that the group wants to understand the needs of local businesses.

The purpose of the purpose of the meeting was outlined:- to gather thoughts from all members of the business community on this issue. The outcomes of this consultation will help inform the action plan of the retail and business group.

The discussions will be facilitated by officers from EHDC. By using a facilitated format everyone present will have the opportunity to put their views forward and all views will be logged.

2. Town Design Statement – Philip Haynes

Philip Haynes provided a brief on the work of the Town Design Statement Group and the lessons learned from the Bank Holiday Demonstration Event. These were incorporated into the big board (see below).

3. Big board

The delegates were invited to post up three issues/ideas about making better use of the Market Square. The detailed output is shown in Appendix 2.

In summary, the main issues/ideas were:

• More events
• Christmas Festivities
• Benefits for all local businesses
• Increase interest in people visiting the town
• Use local arts and music in The Square that appeal to all ages
• Retain/remove/re-site the statue (King William III)
• Community benefits
• Car parking
• Café culture
• Regulations
• Pedestrianisation
  

4. Table Discussion + Plenary

Delegates were asked to take the input from the main board and discuss what actions were necessary and to identify the key issues. These outputs are shown in Appendix 3. This led to a challenging and stimulating meeting discussion.

One key outcome was a request for another meeting with more room and time to develop the issues heard into an agreed action plan.

Key messages were:

• Need to meet again
• Choose a larger venue with more time

Main priorities are to:

• determine how to co-ordinate, communicate and fund better use of the Market Square.
• to generate benefits for all businesses and potential to increase turnover.

5. Close – Gareth Gammon

Gareth Gammon thanked everybody for attending.

Appendix 1

Twenty 20 High Street Petersfield Hampshire
Trevor Towner 12 High Street Petersfield Hampshire
Antrobus Accountants Antrobus House Petersfield Hampshire
Roswell's 1 High Street Petersfield Hampshire
The Craft Box Unit A, Bakery Lane 37 Chapel Street Petersfield
Pickett & Pursers Petersfield Hampshire
Folly Bar & Market 10/12 College Street Petersfield
Sustainability Centre The Sustainability Centre East Meon Petersfield
Dowers 29b Chapel Street Petersfield Hampshire
15 High Street Bed & Breakfast 15 High Street Petersfield Hampshire
The George 28 The Square Petersfield Hampshire
The Square Brewery 7 The Square Petersfield Hampshire
Event Bookings Ltd 12 High Street Petersfield Hampshire
Frasers 4 Chapel Street Petersfield Hampshire
Action Business C/O East Hampshire Chamber of Commerce
Navigate Design 22 High Street Petersfield Hampshire
Petersfield Post 33 High Street Petersfield Hampshire
Phase Eight 19 The Square Petersfield Hampshire
Petersfield Marketing Ltd
Between The Lines 4 Swan Street Petersfield Hampshire
Antrobus House Business Centre 18 College Street Petersfield Hampshire
Petersfield Tomorrow 20 Kimbers Petersfield Hampshire
Foggy's St Peters Road Petersfield Hampshire
St Peter's Church The Square Petersfield Hampshire
At Home / Thorntons The Sadlery, Lydnum House 12 High Street Petersfield
Twenty 20 High Street Petersfield Hampshire

Appendix 2

Summary of comments

More events

Festival events, charity funding events, more specialised markets
Money
Flower show in summer
Craft market
Exhibitions
Annual events – music/markets etc – all age groups
Varied markets
Arts events (capitalise on reputation Petersfield has for the arts)
Improved/larger/more varied markets – too many are too similar
Concerts
Food festival
Involve local children and schools to obtain their views

Christmas festivities

More seasonal markets ie Christmas Market
Christmas carol event
Christmas carol signing in The Square
Christmas is NOT just for children

Benefits for all local businesses

Involve Foggy’s and other traders
Involve Folly Market and other areas
Involve charities/community groups
More involvement of non Square businesses
Work with Association of Petersfield Business – common goals

Increase interest in people visiting the town

Access for elderly and disabled
‘Market’ the town outside of Petersfield
Calendar of town events, more Petersfield festivities

Use local arts and music in The Square – appeals to all age ranges

Open air concerts
Performing arts/music

Remove the statue from The Square

Keep the statue
William III?

Community benefit

Better community spirit
A forum for all aspects/centres and tastes within the community to use The Square

Car parking

Car-free zone during events
Free short-term car parking

Café culture

Encouraging café culture
Table and chairs to relax
Café area
Pavement cafés
More of a café culture, chairs/tables etc

Misc

Less meeting, more action
Regular meetings

Regulatory

Regulation
Licences

Pedestrianisation of The Square

Closure on busy days and one-off events
Experiment with pedestrianisation
Limited closure of High Street
Well chosen moments to pedestrianise Square and High Street

Appendix 3

Red Table comments

Discussion points

Run Events

- Markets
- Christmas

All Petersfield businesses benefit

Visitors – marketing Petersfield

Music/performing arts

Statue

- keep?
- remove?

Community Spirit

Car parking

Café culture

Important to recognise need to provide better opportunities for customers

Yellow Table comments

Pedestrianisation

- Car parking
- Less parking on The Square = less traffic

Square

- The statue

- History

- More events

- Not enough funding

- Fund a co-ordinator

Customers

– opportunity

Functions

- partakers inputting to funds

Co-ordination

Communication

- include all local business

Business on The Square

- competition
- to involve the whole business community
- better planning and comms

Fund-raising

- Christmas lights, cleaning etc

+ Co-ordination

Making Better use of The Market Square

• Pedestrianisation

- Square
- permanent/during events only
- Lavant Street?

• Marketing/advertising to support events

- Lack of awareness of community events

- Central information point

- Role of Petersfield press

- Longer lead times for events – so local businesses are informed

- Newsletter to all

• Events

- Who will organise?

- Business involvement in formulating programme under one body

- Involving other streets

• Café culture

- Allowing cafes from outside The Square to take part in events

Anything else

Funding

• commercial viable
• Generate benefits for local businesses – use Square
• potential to increase turnover

Final comments

Learning Point

• Meet again
• Larger room
  
  

Appendix 4

“Making Better Use of the Market Square!”

7.00 pm for 7.30 pm start, Wednesday 12th September The Square Brewery, Petersfield

7.00 pm Registration & refreshments - delegates invited to prepare 3 suggestions on cards to “make better use of the market square !”

7.30 pm Welcome & Introduction – Gareth Gammon, Chairman of Retail and Business Group, Petersfield Tomorrow

7.35 pm The Square – Potential. Key Issues – Philip Haines, Town Design Group, Petersfield Tomorrow

7.40 pm Facilitation – briefing on aims and objectives – Mike Gibbs, East Hampshire District Council

7.50 pm Facilitated discussion – break-out groups

8.20 pm Feedback/group discussion

8.30 pm Closing remarks – Gareth Gammon