bid matters newsletter edition 1 - january 2015

BIDMATTERSHave you signed up to our free mixed recycling and cardboard collection service? If not, you are missing a cost-saving opportunity. More than 50 levy payers have so far signed up to the kerbside scheme, which we introduced in 2013 in partnership with recycling company First Mile. It’s easy to sign up - all you need to do is drop us an email at: [email protected]

To date, over 75 tonnes of waste has been collected and recycled. The service is good for the environment and good for your bottom line – a direct saving against your current provider.

We can also have any bulky waste taken away. Thanks to our partnership with the Vine Project, large furniture items, white goods or surplus stock can be taken away free of charge.

To arrange a free collection call the office on 020 3282 7198

The radio scheme offers retailers a direct connection to the police on Sutton High Street throughout the day and night. A large percentage of the High Street shops and all of the public houses are now involved in the scheme, which is proving to be very successful.

Monthly meetings are held at the Successful Sutton offices, enabling you to give us your feedback on the scheme and how we can work together to make Sutton a safer place. Successful Sutton subsidises the scheme to make sure it is affordable for all levy payers. Keep your business and your staff safe and secure by signing up to the scheme.

If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact Diane Hookway: [email protected] or call 0208 770 3172

Mixed recycling scheme

Quarterly newsletter I Feb 2015

Radio Scheme

IntroductionWelcome to our first newsletter of 2015. I hope you had an enjoyable (and profitable) Christmas and New Year. We hope 2015 continues to see growth and investment in Sutton. Our data shows that footfall rose during 2014, with more people visiting more regularly. Sutton now records over 450,000 visits a week.

The town centre is benefitting from new investment in developments on the old gas works site (soon to be a mixed-use site incorporating a new Sainsbury’s), Sutton Point (a new mixed use development near Sutton station) and Subsea 7 are building a prestigious new office development. The site of the old Sutton Superbowl is being developed into a hotel and restaurant complex and both Sutton Station and Times Square are being re-modelled and renovated. Such investment would not be taking place if there wasn’t confidence in Sutton’s future. Attention will inevitably be focused on the general election, and like other BIDs, we are lobbying to ensure business gets priority in election manifestos; we are also continuing to lobby the Mayor of London to commit to extending the Tram to Sutton and increase investment in our over ground rail services. We are also working with Sutton Council to ensure the town centre does not lose services and investment as a result of the significant budget cuts it faces.

To encourage people to continue visiting Sutton we have a fantastic range of events planned for the year, including Sutton’s Best Breakfast competition, the Sutton Business Awards, a unique Sutton High Street Easter Farmyard and a Chilli festival. The latest news on our events can be found on www.enjoysutton.co.uk

We are here to deliver improvements to the town centre that benefit you and your business. If you have suggestions for how we can enhance our services or the improvements you would like to see made to the high street then please get in touch. You fund us; we are your voice; we’d like to hear from you.

More than 50 levy payers have so far signed up to the Kerbside schemeMixed recycling scheme ”

Ross Feeney, Chief Executive, [email protected]


BID officially accreditedSuccessful Sutton has joined a select group of BIDs to be awarded British BIDs accreditation, after just two years in operation. The accreditation focuses on ensuring the BIDs stakeholders can be satisfied that, the BID is well managed, has strong governance arrangements in place and that it complies with the legislation and regulations which govern it.

“Clearly we are delighted to have achieved British BIDs accreditation, which I hope provides reassurance to our levy payers, on how we manage their money and their BID.” said Ross Feeney Chief Executive.

New ChairmanFollowing the closure of Sutton Superbowl Paul Curtis has stepped down as chairman of Successful Sutton. The board would like to thank Paul for all his hard work and commitment to Sutton and Successful Sutton over the past 3 years. Monica Tyler, Chief Executive of The Vine Project, located in St Nicholas Centre, has been elected as the new Chairman of Successful Sutton. If you have any issues you would like to discuss, Monica is keen to hear from you – [email protected]

Shuttle scheme sponsorship deal Sutton’s shopper shuttle is benefiting from a sponsorship agreement with the Post Office off the back of its popularity with shoppers. Since November, the buggy has been wrapped in a joint Post Office-Enjoy Sutton livery and its operational hours have been extended, with new hours from 9am to 5:30pm (Monday to Saturday).

NEWS IN BRIEF...

Window DressingWe have been asked by a number of levy payers if there is anything we can do to improve the look of retail units when they become vacant. If units are left vacant for some time they can become the target of vandals and fly-posters. We are currently working with a company, City Dressing, to cover the windows and signage boards of empty units with large vinyl graphics that make the units look like proper shops. We are currently working on two units, and hope to ‘dress’ a number of additional units over the coming months.

Parking chargesSutton is currently reviewing the car park fees. We have had excellent dialogue with the Council’s car parks team and are working to ensure any revision to the current parking rates do not discourage visitors from staying longer.

New planters You may have noticed our new multi-coloured planters by ASDA and on Trinity Square. They add to the collection of hanging baskets we have put up around St Nicholas Shopping Centre to help brighten up the town centre. We have achieved cost savings by agreeing annual maintenance contracts for all our hanging baskets and planters. We would love your feedback on the planters.

What is Enjoy Sutton?Enjoy Sutton is our promotions brand for the town centre. We actively promote Sutton by running regular marketing and social media campaigns, competitions, high street events and local community initiatives. As a destination brand, we are focused on raising Sutton’s profile as a great place to shop, dine, work and live. All Enjoy Sutton events and activities are exclusive to Sutton town centre and are funded by Successful Sutton.

• Businesses decide and direct what they want for the area

• Businesses are represented and have a voice in issues effecting the area

• BID levy money is ring-fenced for use only in the BID area – unlike business rates which are paid in to, and redistributed by, government

• Increased footfall

• Improved staff retention

• Business cost reduction

• Area promotion

• Facilitated networking opportunities with neighbouring businesses

• Assistance in dealing with the Council, Police and other public bodies

Once a BID has been established by a majority vote, companies are legally bound to pay a surcharge on their business rates each year. In Sutton our levy is currently 1.05%. The Sutton town centre BID was established in October 2012 and runs until October 2017. Each year we invest money in activities and services to promote and improve Sutton, and we strive to secure best value for you, our levy payers.

What we doThe Successful Sutton Business Improvement District (BID) is committed to a focused agenda and programme of events and initiatives aimed at improving Sutton town centre for businesses, visitors and residents.

Our responsibilities are divided into four themes or ‘sub-groups’: Enhancing Sutton, Delivering Value, Protecting Sutton and Brighter Sutton.

Each sub-group determines how our annual budget is allocated and spent and

is chaired by a Board member. Meetings are held every four to six weeks and are open to levy payers to attend. If you have any feedback to help us deliver the right services for your business please let us know.

How we are fundedBusinesses within the BID area with a rateable value above £10,000 contribute to Successful Sutton through a 1.05% levy on their business rates. Businesses below that threshold can pay a voluntary annual levy of £100.

The BID levy is mandatory for all eligible businesses. It is collected annually by Sutton Council and passed to the Successful Sutton BID for use on the projects and services set out in our BID proposal.

Successful Sutton is a BID. What is a BID?A BID (Business Improvement District) is a business-led and business funded body formed to improve a defined commercial area – in our case, Sutton town centre. The benefits of having a BID include:

We have been regularly asked recently, “What’s happening to Times Square?” We are pleased to confirm that a shopping centre makeover is underway and the team at Times Square have released the following statement:

“Building work is underway to improve Times Square. The major redevelopment project is expected to last until July 2015, when retailers including TKMaxx are due to begin shop fitting. Much of the 30-year-old centre will change to incorporate two stunning new shops with entrances on the High Street and to attract top retail names currently missing from the town centre.

This underlines an enormous commitment to the future of Times Square and to Sutton. It is an exciting time for the shopping centre and we are very pleased that work is underway. The centre has seen many changes over the years but this is a significant overhaul by the new owners Lumina Real Estate Capital that will add value, create a better offering for tenants and shoppers and contribute to the regeneration of Sutton.

Work to the 126,000 sq ft centre will include a stunning new entrance on the High Street, refurbished malls and reconfiguring the space to offer large retail units. One of which will be taken by TKMaxx for a massive new shop in the heart of Sutton town centre.

Times Square and of course the remaining shops in the centre will remain open throughout the re-building project. When the work is finished we will be able to offer retailers and the public an exciting, vibrant shopping experience. New jobs will be created and Sutton will boast one of the most modern shopping centres in the country.

To keep updated on progress visit www.timessquareshopping.co.uk

Times Square Update

discover experience enjoy

Accreditation

www.successfulsutton.co.uk


NEWS IN BRIEF...

High street clean upWe continue to proactively tackle chewing gum on the high street as part of our commitment to enhancing the town centre.

A twice-weekly clean-up operation began in September following investment in a state-of-the-art machine, which dissolves chewing gum and the stain it leaves behind. For certain areas of the High Street the solution has proven to be more cost-effective than jet washing.

Our in-house gum-buster, David Kerrigan, is on hand to tackle ‘grot-spots’ outside your business. If you have an area you would like us to tackle please call us and we’ll make it a priority.

Retail traffic upLatest footfall figures show an increase in the number of people choosing to shop in Sutton. More than 2.5m people visited the high street in December compared to the 2m monthly average recorded in the previous months, according to data from our three high street footfall monitors. We will continue to email levy payers weekly footfall reports, which provide a snapshot of consumer confidence. If you haven’t signed up to this free service, please email: [email protected]

Sutton’s open-air cinema returned to the High Street for a second year, with free screenings of Smokey and the Bandit, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Mamma Mia and Toy Story in August and September drawing an audience of more than 1,000 people. The screenings have fostered a sense of community spirit and provided opportunities for businesses to market to a captive audience. We partnered with local retailers, Charlie’s Sweet Emporium and Really Awesome Coffee to provide free sweets, drinks and snacks at the events. We are currently planning our events for 2015. Do you have any film suggestions? We can play PG or U certificate films only.

Sunset Cinema

As part of our annual Halloween activities, we offered spooky guided walking tours of Sutton. Over 145 people participated in these free spooky tours during three nights of ghostly fun. Visitors followed costumed characters to surprise locations and indulged in stories about Sutton’s haunted past. We had some fantastic feedback from very happy customers. We also funded a week-long Spooky Sutton workshop programme at the Secombe Theatre, with free activities for children. Both events were highly successful.

Halloween events: Spooky walks and workshops

Sutton LiveWe trialled with a new initiative for Sutton, which saw high street bars, cafés, pubs and restaurants host free live music throughout November and December to promote local musical talent. We collaborated with music school, The Sutton Music Centre to ensure the two-month long programme ran smoothly. Plans are underway to continue live music in the High Street over the summer period.

We will keep you posted

Last year’s Christmas Lights Switch-on was a huge success, with a packed programme of free family entertainment attracting tens of thousands of people into the high street.

The festivities kicked off at 12 noon with stilt walkers, carol singers and costumed characters on the High Street, followed by an open-air concert hosted by Radio DJ Mick Brown and stage performances from the Carshalton Pantomime Company, local high school bands and dance groups. Celebrity guests Scott Robinson and Ritchie Neville from 90s boyband 5ive capped off the day’s entertainment by performing some of their greatest hits on stage before joining the Mayor and Mayoress of Sutton, Councillor Arthur Hookway and Mrs Su Hookway to switch on Sutton’s Christmas lights.

Other highlights included the Sutton land train, Christmas gift market by Ecolocal and Santa’s grotto in Times Square, plus Peppa Pig storytime sessions and special appearances by Bjorn the Bear in St Nicholas Shopping Centre.

If you would like to get involved in the 2015 switch-on or have any feedback on last year’s event, please email: [email protected]

Christmas Lights Switch-on

2014 EVENT ROUND-UP ...


What a delightful spooky event put on by your team and the actors were really great

“”

What a top event, congratulations to all the people involved and the organisers

“”

‘What’s so Funny’ Comedy Workshops16th-20th February

Enjoy Sutton has partnered with Sutton Theatres to offer free comedy workshops for children at the Secombe Theatre this February half-term. The workshops will teach children everything from circus skills to how to deliver a punchline and create funny stories. For a full list of workshops running throughout the week, please visit:

www.suttontheatres.co.uk

Tickets must be booked in advance by contacting the Box Office:

020 8770 [email protected]

Sutton’s High Street FarmSaturday 4th April 10am-5pm

Easter fun comes in all shapes and sizes with our very own high street farmyard. We will have sheep and lambs to cuddle, naughty goats and kids, piglets to tickle, a miniature donkey to groom, chicks to sit on hands or laps, colourful chicken, quacky ducks and geese. Come down from 10am til 5pm for lots of fun at the farmyard and free facebanking.

St George’s Day

Food FairThursday 23rd April 10am-4pmWe are hosting a day of ‘Best of British’ food in the High Street. Come and taste the delights from all corners of the United Kingdom. Plus, celebrity chef Ed Baines will be visiting the High Street and announcing the winner of the ‘Sutton’s Best Breakfast’ competition.

Chilli FestivalSaturday 6th June 10am-5pmChilli Fest invites all chilli lovers to take part in a day of chilli related events. The main attractions are the chilli-based dishes, which will include anything from hot curries to chilli beers and cocktails. The event will also feature the ‘Clash of the Titans’ Chilli eating contest and live entertainment.

Country Music FestivalSunday 5th July10am-4.30pm The Country Music Festival will be returning in 2015, with live country music and dancing. The High Street will be alive with heel digs and pivot turns so dosey doe on down.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS ...


We are currently hosting business start-up programmes over a six-week period for mums looking to get back into work.

Two workshops - one focusing on starting up a business (now full) and another on achieving personal success (places still available) will be running every Tuesday, beginning February 25th. If you would like to attend, please register online at www.successfulsutton.co.uk or to find out more information, contact Jane: [email protected]

Business start-up programmes

Midtown Hub update

Organised by Successful Sutton and Sutton Chamber of Commerce, our glittering Awards dinner recognises dynamic and innovative businesses in the borough. The 1st Awards ceremony took place at the Holiday Inn on 7th November, with prizes awarded in 11 categories including Best SME Business, Best Business for Customer Service and Entrepreneur of the Year.

Businesses will be able to register for the 2015 Sutton Business Excellence Awards from 10th March. www.suttonbusinessawards.com

Sutton Business Excellence Awards 2015

Sutton’s ‘Best Breakfast’ CompetitionThe search for ‘Sutton’s Best Breakfast’ is under way. On January 27th we launched a competition inviting breakfast venues to compete for the title of ‘Sutton’s Best Breakfast’ by encouraging their customers to vote for them.

The businesses that achieve the highest number of public votes will be mystery shopped by a team of judges and an overall winner will be announced at our main event on St George’s Day in the High Street on April 23rd.

The competition is open to any venue that serves breakfast in the Sutton Business Improvement District area. If you are interested in registering your business and would like to receive an entrants pack, please contact: [email protected]

Registration is open until February 20th.

It’s been a busy start to 2015 at Midtown hub, with a steady flow of new bookings (and brewed coffee) creating a buzzy office. As a BID run and managed co-working space, we are focused on growing our presence in South London by providing affordable office space and fantastic facilities to support start-ups and growing businesses – encouraging more people to visit Sutton.

In January we launched our revamped website which will be updated regularly with news and promotions. Desk hire starts from as little as £5 for an hour and includes free WiFi, coffee and tea on tap, access to our rooftop terrace and lobby areas with leather couches. We also offer a mailbox service and fully equipped meeting room for hire by the hour, with reduced rates for levy payers. Meeting room booking requests can be made on our website: www.midtownhub.co.uk

For news updates and special offers at Midtown Hub, sign up to our newsletter: [email protected]


We are always keen to hear from levy payers who want to become more involved, whether you would like to join the Board,

attend a theme group meeting or provide feedback on our activities.

As levy payers, you are encouraged to attend our quarterly feedback events, which provide an opportunity to meet other BID members and the Successful Sutton team and Board.

Stay up-to-date with our latest news by subscribing to our e-newsletter and follow us on Twitter and Facebook. For more information, please visit our websites: www.successfulsutton.co.uk www.enjoysutton.co.uk

Send us your news for inclusion in future newsletters to: [email protected]

Accreditation

How to get involved

BID Calendar:Key dates for your diary

Theme Group Meetings, all levy payers

are invited to attend.

Meetings start at 10am in the Successful

Sutton Meeting Room, 1 Times Square,

Sutton High Street.

7th April Brighter & Enhancing

15th April Delivering & Protecting

9th June

Brighter & Enhancing

11th June Delivering & Protecting

8th Sept Brighter & Enhancing

9th Sept Delivering & Protecting

10th Nov Brighter & Enhancing

11th Nov Delivering & Protecting

Find us on facebook@enjoysutton

Follow us on @successsutton

Successful Sutton Business Improvement District1, Times Square, Sutton, Surrey SM1 1LFTel: 020 3282 7198www.successfulsutton.co.uk

bid matters newsletter edition 1 - january 2015

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