Red Card For The Traffic Management System?

I will have the minutes of Tuesday’s meeting posted over the weekend. Meanwhile we hear that a consultancy run by SFA and FIFA referee Dougie McDonald, has been appointed to conduct the feasibility study into opening up the High Street to car traffic once more. Business for Dumbarton looks forward to the present traffic system being given the red card!

Out and About

Going round collecting the survey results was a rare opportunity to connect with members of Business for Dumbarton especially those who for a variety of reasons don’t come to meetings. I had expected that a bit of canvassing would be required on my part to sell the idea of our traffic management proposal. As it turned out, in almost every case, people ticked number one and asked “when is it all going to be sorted out?”. I got comments from all sectors. The banks are concerned at the dramatic fall in the use of their ATM’s. A bar manager I spoke to highlighted the difficulty for elderly and disabled customers to treat themselves to a bar lunch in the town. The lady at Holland and Barrett explained that they had lost a lot of trade from elderly and disabled customers who could no longer even be dropped off by a friend let alone park nearby themselves. In business after business it was the same complaints and concerns. Of course the effect has filtered through to people not renewing leases, or when an employee leaves, not replacing them. “Drop in” convenience trade has all but disappeared from the town centre thanks to the traffic management scheme. I know that I have a full timer leaving at the end of August who I am unlikely to replace simply because of the drop in footfall. This is a real shame as I have managed to provide full time continuous employment for three people for the last ten years.

The whole success of the town centre hinges on the viability of the businesses therein. If footfall increases, turnover increases, businesses employ more people, empty properties are snapped up……och! it is all so frustratingly self evident. This is why now that we have a solid mandate amongst members that now I will be looking for wider support from the community for our plan.

Self evident or not, hearts and minds still have to be won over to effect necessary change. The fight continues.

Traffic Management Survey Results

Yesterday was the deadline for the return of our survey forms. The response has been very good indeed and out of 65 forms we have now had 58 returned. Members were asked to tick one of the following options and complete their business name and address. I have in bold entered the number of members who voted for each option.

1) I agree with the proposal to readmit car traffic to the High Street at any time and provide on street disabled and short stay parking. I support the Business for Dumbarton traffic management plan as outlined on their website.

56 (FIFTY SIX) VOTES

2) I agree with the proposal to readmit car traffic to the High Street. I do not support the Business for Dumbarton traffic management plan as outlined on their website.

2 (TWO) VOTES

3) I disagree with the proposal to readmit car traffic to the High Street. I am satisfied with the current traffic management system, which excludes cars from the High Street between the hours of 12:00 midday and 5:30 and does not provide on-street disabled or short stay parking.

0 (ZERO) VOTES

This gives a very clear indication of the support for our traffic management plan. The support is right across the board from the retail (national and independent) banking and service sectors. The message could not be any clearer that the current system is working for no-one! These results will now be forwarded to West Dunbartonshire Council and included in the feasibility study being undertaken by them.

Notice of Meeting

As intimated in our newsletter, the next meeting of Business for Dumbarton is on Tuesday 24th June at 6:00pm. The venue is Aunties Tea Room (next to the Co-op) in the High Street. Thanks are due to Reg Barret for once again letting us use his premises. All members are welcome.

Traffic Management Survey

I personally delivered 65* copies of THIS SURVEY to members on Friday and Saturday. So far about one third have been returned which is good. Please make the effort to return yours to me at Ryans Pet Centre at 157 High Street. The results of the survey will be passed to West Dunbartonshire Council as part of the feasibility study to open the street up to customers once more.

*Readers may remember that initially Business for Dumbarton had 68 members. Sadly since April three members are no longer trading. However we shall be undertaking another recruitment drive soon.

Free Offer!

I thought that would grab your attention! Another Dumbarton editor, Fiona Howard, formerly of the Dumbarton Reporter, has been in touch to offer Business for Dumbarton members a free listing on her website. Fiona during her time at the Reporter, was always a strong supporter of town centre business in Dumbarton. She is now concerned with producing a business magazine and website covering the local area called “Business in Dunbartonshire”

I’ll let Fiona take up the story:

“Hi Robert,
I would like to offer all the members of Business for Dumbarton a FREE
directory listing in the business directory on the Business in
Dunbartonshire business news website (to view site CLICK HERE )
The directory offers a weblink, map and email facility and can include
as much information about each business as they wish. There is an option
to send a photo or logo for the front and the details I require are
telephone number, mobile number, address with post code, fax if
applicable and a brief description. I am happy too to include any event
details in the diary (meetings, new launches, product launches open days
etc.) and of course any news.
You can send the details to info@dunbartonshire.biz, my phone number is
07789904687 and the snail mail address is Ravenswood, Shore Road, Cove
G84 0LR. Please encourage your members to sign up for the free listing”

So folks, what are you waiting for?

Overview

Bill Heaney, former Lennox Herald editor and now assistant to local MP John McFall, uses the services of Business for Dumbarton member Iain Wilson at Photo Ecosse. Bill kindly gave Iain a copy of this photo of the town centre which he had taken on a helicopter trip. It was taken only with a small digital camera but it has come out very well.

Credit Where Credit is Due.

Business for Dumbarton and this blogsite have been critical of West Dunbartonshire Council on several occasions. However we also believe in praising the local authority when things go right or they do something positive in the town centre. Today the hanging baskets went up on the shops as they do every year. We appreciate this gesture in cash strapped times. The colourful displays are always of a very high quality and they definitely lift the spirits of the High Street and Town Centre users. I was going to post a picture or two but to be fair the baskets are not yet in full bloom. I will post some pictures when they are.

High Drama In The High Street!

On Friday there was a bomb scare at the “tardis” toilet block on the quayside in Dumbarton.

Apparently someone left a “suspicious looking brown package” in the toilet(!)

Police cordoned off sections of Riverside Lane and the quay and were obviously taking the threat very seriously.

Locals wondered whether all the commotion was down to the fact that someone had actually used the toilets! A police spokesman said they had “nothing to go on”.

Seriously though, the police dealt with the incident in a thoroughly professional manner. They were taking no chances on any of the public being at risk. Once they had confirmed the package was safe, the area got back to normal very quickly.