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Ashford Portas Pilot CASE STUDIESSince the formation of the Ashford Town Team, Ashford has forged several exciting projects designed to reinvigorate the town centre. The team has benefitted through funding from Ashford Borough Council and the appointment of a full-time Town Team Manager. Jo Wynn-Carter, who came from the private sector to fill this role in April 2013, has been able to dedicate time to building strong relationships between local businesses, landlords and public sector bodies. This role has proved very successful in being able to provide a decisive lead for projects and in encouraging support from various organisations for key decisions.

‘LOVE ASHFORD’ TOWN CENTRE WEBSITEAshford is driving town centre footfall through our innovative website LoveAshford.com. The new website, which launched in October 2014, allows visitors to interact with local shops and businesses, read the latest news, special offers and events in the town centre.

More than 100 businesses are signed up to the site including M&S, Debenhams, New Look, Pandora and Pizza Express.

The website includes useful information such as stores’ opening hours and current offers, plus a special ‘click and collect’ service for independent stores, and a link to businesses own click and collect. LoveAshford.com is the first website of its kind.

Emporia, an independent fabric and craft store located in Bank Street, is just one of many businesses in Ashford signed up and is offering the ‘click and collect’ service. Clair Heal, owner of Emporia Fabrics and Crafts said:

Local company Red Carrot has created the new website in partnership with Ashford Town Team and Ashford Borough Council.

The LoveAshford website is used not only as a promotional tool for town centre businesses and local events, but it also functions as an innovative portal for local businesses to promote their unique ‘click and collect’ service.

I think the LoveAshford website is a great way of promoting small businesses like mine who are new and

haven't got the budget for lots of adverts.

I especially like the ‘click and collect’ service because customers will be able to see a selection of products I

have to offer online. Overall, I love the fact that LoveAshford has everything all in one place, from events and news to special offers and store opening times.

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There are currently nearly 20 businesses offering this service through the LoveAshford website, including Marks and Spencer, Debenhams and local independent retailers.

The aim of the website is to ensure local businesses take advantage in the growth of online retailing and remain visable in the digital landscape for consumers, visitors and local people alike.

Key features of loveashford.com include:

• Individual page for each town centre business

• Integrated mapping and social media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn)

• Events promotion

• Latest news

• Blog

• Special offers

• Interactive resident surveys and feedback

• ‘Click & Collect’ for independent businesses

• A business-to-business email facility

• Business and resident newsletters

The creation of LoveAshford has been the first step towards creating Ashford’s very own digital high street.

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POPUP ASHFORD

Media coverage of empty shops has appeared in many newspapers, both locally and nationally. As a direct result of being a Portas Pilot town we have been able to work with PopUp Britain, the retail arm of the StartUp Britain national campaign supporting Britain’s entrepreneurs, to deliver the first PopUp Britain shop in Kent and in a Portas Town.

By building a good working relationship between Ashford Borough Council and UBS, landlords of Park Mall shopping centre, we were able to procure an unused retail unit for the project with the idea that we would occupy an empty shop front to encourage more pedestrians into the area.

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PopUp Ashford opened on the 14th October 2013 and has brought much-needed footfall to an area of town that had a high vacancy rate.

Start-up businesses shared the space for a maximum of four weeks at a time testing their trade on the high street. The project ran for more than a year and we have seen over 25 businesses using the space and receiving support from the town team.

Over the past 14 months, PopUp Ashford has welcomed a wide range of businesses, selling everything from vintage clothing and stylish jewellery, to bespoke crafts and personalised gifts. We also helped students from Ashford College get a feel for the business world by producing their photography on to products such as greeting cards and framed prints. The first and second year photography students from ‘Eye View’ received valuable experience and knowledge on how to take a product and sell it to consumers.

We have challenged the traditional use of a retail outlet by hosting events and workshops including an evening event with TV’s Alex Polizzi, attended by more than 70 local businesses. We have also attracted media interest from BBC South East and Meridian TV. What’s more, we ran exciting Buying and Visual Merchandising workshops for local businesses to learn how to buy for profit and maximise product performance. We have been able to advise councils and town teams on how to set up their own pop up shop. We are currently working on case studies to gain valuable feedback from tenants regarding their experience in PopUp Ashford. This information will not only assist us with future plans in the town centre, but be a useful document for other towns to refer to when setting up a pop up shop.

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One of our tenants said:

After testing their trade in PopUp Ashford, another one of our occupants said:

I have learnt how to display merchandise and develop my products through customer feedback. I now understand much more about

public reaction and shopping psychology.

Being in PopUp Ashford was a brilliant experience. It was great for me and my business and I learnt a lot. I loved having a permanent

presence in Ashford.

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Ashford Borough Council’s Town Team manager, Jo Wynn Carter said:

PopUp Ashford remained open until 24th December 2014 allowing traders to make the most of the additional festive footfall.

POP UP GALLERY – STOUR VALLEY ARTSAshford was allocated Arts Council funding to support the Portas Pilot project activity. Following discussions on how best to compliment this activity, it was agreed by the Town Team that the funding be used to secure a ‘pop up’ art gallery, curated by a professional local arts company. On the 23rd November 2013, just one month after the decision by the Town Team, Stour Valley Arts opened the Cornershop Gallery opposite PopUp Ashford with a high quality art show displaying and selling affordable artworks by artists and makers from Kent. In the first four weeks of opening, 800 people visited the gallery. There has also been evidence of a positive crossover developing between start-up businesses in PopUp Ashford.

ASHFORD’S FARMERS’ MARKETThe Ashford Farmers’ Market is another part of the council’s drive to increase footfall in the town centre, create a fresh, exciting atmosphere in the Lower High Street and support local businesses.

The Farmers’ Market takes place on the first Sunday of the month and boasts a diverse range of delicious food and drink from local traders. The first market was held in July 2014 and has since expanded in size and popularity.

Visitors can buy and sample a tasty range of fresh produce, enjoy entertainment from local performers and watch live chef demonstrations to pick up cooking tips and recipe cards.

P opUp Ashford has been very successful in supporting new businesses and entrepreneurs, and opening

up contacts with enterprise and creative networks and organisations.

T he original concept of PopUp Britain was to allow businesses to test the High Street for two weeks in a

shared unit. The Ashford PopUp shop initiative has naturally evolved this approach through feedback from businesses to extend this to be four weeks to help businesses build trust in their brand and more face to face contact with customers.

W e will be investigating plans for the next stage of this initiative to provide smaller units for individual

businesses looking to start up, but over a longer initial period, say six months, which would give these businesses a greater chance to test the market over a more sustained period and could result in more tenants taking vacant units within the town centre.

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During December visitors enjoyed two festive markets. December’s Farmers’ Market was packed with local businesses selling fresh, local produce and artisan made goods, while a special Christmas Farmers’ Market later in the month sold festive food and gifts.

Our traders took a January break, but will be back selling their produce from February.

PHOTOGRAPHY: THE PHOTOGRAPHY COMPANY

FREE PARKING IN THE TOWN CENTRETo support Ashford’s retailers and attract more shoppers to the town centre, Ashford Borough Council has introduced free parking in select council-run car parks on certain days. Visitors can enjoy free parking every Sunday in the Edinburgh Road multi-story car park, ideal for those visiting the Farmers’ Market as it is conveniently situated only a few minutes’ walk away. In a bid to further increase the town’s footfall and boost trade for Ashford businesses, free parking is also offered after 3pm in certain council-run car parks during the week, perfect for a late afternoon visit to the town. What’s more, throughout the Christmas period visitors could park for free on three Sundays in December. The scheme encouraged local people to do their Christmas shopping in Ashford and increased festive footfall in the town. Overall, the free parking initiative has helped attract more people into the town centre, boost trade to the Farmers’ Market and other local businesses, and make the town centre an attractive option for new business ventures.

FREE PARKINGIN

A292

MACE LANE

EAST HILL

STAT

ION

ROAD

WEL

LESL

EY R

OAD

HIGH STREET

PARK MALLSHOPPING CENTRE

COUNTY SQUARE

SHOPPING CENTRE

EDINBURGH ROAD

BANK

STR

EET

TUFTON STREET VICARAGE LANE

CHUR

CH R

OAD

DUNN

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Edinburgh Road TN24 8LG

Free after 3pm Monday-Saturday, free on Sundays and Bank Holidays

Flour Mills TN24 8PA

Free on Sundays and Bank Holidays

Station Road TN23 1PP

Free after 3pm Sundays and Bank Holidays

FREE PARKINGIN

www.ashford.gov.uk/free-parking

Free Parkingin AshfordAshford Borough Council has introduced free parking at certain times in the following car parks across the borough:

www.ashford.gov.uk/free-parking

Free Sunday Parkingin DecemberFor Ashford ShoppersShoppers can enjoy free parking in ALL council-owned car parks in Ashford on the Sunday before Christmas, so pop into town, park for free, grab a bite and do your Christmas shopping.

Free parking will be available in all council-run car parks on Sunday 21st December.

FREE PARKINGIN

www.ashford.gov.uk/free-parking

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TOWN CENTRE ACTION TEAM (T-CAT)

As a direct result of Ashford being a Portas Pilot, Ashford Borough Council unveiled a Town Centre Action Team (T-CAT) to the public in September 2013, ushering in a new era of a brighter and cleaner town centre. Over the past two years, the team has been tasked with keeping the town looking at its best, and can respond rapidly to any problems reported by residents, visitors or local businesses. Duties covered by this team of four include litter picking, minor maintenance works, and painting and refurbishing street furniture. T-CAT has had a positive impact on the town not just in terms of cleanliness, but also by working closely with businesses and the public alike.

The team has recently started tackling some of the town’s neglected alleyways. The council does not normally clear privately-owned land, but T-CAT has volunteered to go above and beyond their normal remit to give the area a tidy.

T-CAT recently used PopUp Ashford to showcase pictures of what the team has been up to. A town centre survey was also produced and received an excellent response from the public. The results have assisted with the focus on particular areas in the town going forward.