As usual when I attend the Clapham Junction Town Centre Partnership (business associations) meeting, I give a quick feedback on some specific points that were discussed.
Town Centre Management
We reported during the last feedback that Wandsworth Council aimed at removing funding for the business organisations of each town centres in the borough by April 2015.
Since the last meeting, the Council has reviewed its possibility and confirmed they remain supportive of the Town Centre management: there is no longer any deadline to force a change.
However, they want to explore the possibilities to move to self sustainability and they have appointed a company called Central Management Solutions to provide resources to look at more sustainable models.
CMS is a specialist management company for urban centres and particularly for Business Improvement District (BID). The first phase will be a global feasibility study across the borrow to explore the different possibilities: BIDs (implemented in 187 locations it works in some places, not in others), partnership management, voluntary contribution, raising money, … etc, including staying as it is currently (each of the 5 town centres cost about £80-100k/year).
It was specifically noted that any change will be unlikely to include representatives of the local communities as they won’t provide any funding to the new organisation.
Community Safety Zone
The Police is launching a Community Safety Zone (CSZ) within the Clapham Junction hub. A CSZ is designed to bring together people who live and work in crowded places in order to increase awareness of protective security and vigilance around all crime. Police assist, support and form the CSZ through free awareness cessions.
The CSZ will be launched on Tuesday 25th November 11.30-14.00 in the Clapham Grand.
Christmas lights
Some of Clapham Junction areas will have new Christmas lights (partly paid by the business associations, partly the Council). Switch-on ceremonies will happen on the following dates:
- 26th November: Clapham Junction + Lavender Hill
- 28th November: Northcote Road
- 29th November: St John’s Hill
- 30th November: Belleville Road
- 2nd December: Battersea Square
