The latest Congleton Partnership executive meeting was held on the 2nd December. Many projects are planned for Congleton in 2015 which the Partnership will be supporting in, a really exciting time to get involved! Some highlights from the meeting include:

New Partnership Website – Cathy Dean (IBD)

Cathy took us through a presentation outlining the new website (www.congletonpartnership.co.uk)  and its features. This was very well accepted, it now gives us both an identity and a platform to use to get our message through to the general public and hopefully gain members and volunteers at the same.

There is also a new social media element. The Twitter Feed is @congopar ; please follow if you are using this form of communications.

Sustainable Living In Cingleton (SLIC) – Mike Taylor.

Mike Taylor (Carbon Reduction Group Chair) took us through the SLIC presentation. SLIC is a course to help people respond to the threat of climate change and other environmental issues in their daily lives. The SLIC workbook (issued to all members on the night) is made up of 7 modules and was developed from the Transition Streets courses used in the transitional town of Totnes

 

Town Centre Report – J.MacArthur.

  1. Town Centre – End of leases, merges, illness and the continued tough time experienced by many on the High Street has led to more changes in the Town Centre. Occupancy is currently at 85% for the Town Centre – 204 units, 183 occupied. If you could exclude Capitol Walk from the equation occupancy rates rise to 90% 223 units 190 occupied.
  2. Shops ceased trading – Hallmark Thornton stopped trading and the owner has started marketing the shop. House moved from 3 High Street to upstairs in Empire Menswear. Nationwide merged with Cheshire Building Society and moved into the CBS building on the pedestrian area. The 25 year lease finished on the building occupied by the YMCA – not sure on the future of the building and whether the owner will invite YMCA back.
  3. Shops opened Delia Metcalf shoe shop (in the former A&A music shop), new hairdressers about to open outside Capitol Walk, Titanic breweries have opened in the Kings Arms. Mr Wendles opened in Lawton Street. Amans opened in West Heath Shopping Centre. Work continues on the former Game Station in the High Street and the new bar in Lawton Street but no date given for new occupiers.

 

  1. £1 million – Cheshire East has committed £1 to the first two phases of Public Realm work in Congleton -the Cheshire East Highways Team will be working up a scheme which will be shared with all interested parties. The timing isn’t clear, but this is great news for Congleton as rather than talking about the need and desire to improve the public realm we now have financial backing to make improvements to the pedestrian area and the space at the crossroads of Moody Street, Market Street, High Street and pedestrian area.

 

For the rest of the updates please download the minutes.

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