Category Archives: Debate

Regeneration Interviews

Posted on May 17, 2012 by | Leave a comment

A CAMERA CREW from Olive Media visited Hedon yesterday to interview people about their thoughts and expectations on the ‘renewables regeneration’ being promised by the new Wind Farm manufacturers moving into the region.

The three-strong team, an interviewer, camera operator and an outreach-person, were acting on behalf of a consortium of clients who wanted to assess the views of local people regarding the impacts of the new Siemens factory and Green Port Hull initiatives.

A small queue of people formed to give their opinions. Olive Media have said they will send a copy of the completed DVD produced to HU12 Online.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Debate, Hedon

Tagged , , ,

Got a Hedon or Holderness news issue?

Posted on April 13, 2012 by | Comments Off

DO YOU HAVE a local news item or an issue you would like to see broadcast on the Hedon Blog?

Or perhaps you have an issue that affects the wider Holderness area that could be published on HU12 Online?

If so then send your comments in the box below. Or e-mail your photos or YouTube video link to hedonblog@gmx.com

Comments Off

Posted in Debate, Hedon, Holderness

Tagged , , , ,

It’s INDEPENDENTS’ DAY on July 4th 2012

Posted on April 10, 2012 by | 1 Comment

A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN aimed at celebrating the UK’s independent retailers was launched last month by Skillsmart Retail, the Sector Skills Council.

Retail Independents’ Day encourages the public to buy at least one thing from their local, independent shop on Wednesday 4th July 2012.

Over the next three months, the campaign is encouraging shops and other retailers to download the campaign posters from its website and make plans to celebrate the day in their stores and join forces with others to hold special events to capture the public’s imagination.

One of the supporting organisations behind National Independents’ Day is the National Market Traders Federation who are already supporting the Love Your Local Market campaign which encompasses July 4th.

Wednesday 4th July 2012 is also a Market Day in Hedon – so perhaps this is the perfect day to do something for both campaigns!?

The Retail Independents Campaign website has lots of ideas for the day and posters, web banners and other material to download.

Visit: Retail Independents Day

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Debate, Events, Hedon

Tagged , , ,

Love Your Local Market – Celebrate National Market Day in Hedon?

Posted on April 4, 2012 by | Leave a comment

THE GOVERNMENT has announced a raft of initiatives in response to the Portas Review (which the Blog looked at in February in relation to an Online Town Centre) one of which is a National Market Day.

Love Your Local Market, National Market Day will operate from Saturday 23rd June – Sunday 8th July 2012 and is an opportunity to shout about and raise the profile of local markets. The events are also seen as an opportunity to promote local enterprise and start-up businesses by providing a “stall for a tenner” – or at least opportunities for local people to be able to trade on a market stall for the first time and potentially start a business.

The events are being coordinated by the National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA) and the National Market Traders Federation (NMTF).

NABMA offers this advice about the National Market Day:

“Get the Leader of the Council to visit the local market. Invite the MP. Use the opportunity to cement the relationship between the local market and the community. Do a survey about what people think about the market. Make special offers on the day to get people to use the market. Provide local organisations with the chance to use empty stalls to show that the market is a community asset. Do something different to show the market can be innovative. The list is endless and you do not need to spend a lot of money.”

On Wednesday 20th June or Wednesday 4th July 2012 then perhaps there is an opportunity for Hedon to do something special to promote its 800 year old market tradition?

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Debate, Events, Hedon

Tagged , , , , ,

Tough trading leaves trail of empty shops

Posted on April 2, 2012 by | Leave a comment

“…if people value their local shops then simply – use them or lose them!”

HEDON faces the end of the financial year with the uncomfortable sight of more empty shops.

Footsteps in the Market Place, which only opened its doors last June 2011, has closed and has been stripped bare inside.  Taste, the former delicatessen next door, is still empty after closing last August.

Photo business Forever Photography in the Pump Yard (at the Old Mill Market lobby in Market Place) is also empty after trading at the premises for just under a year. The former Terrie premises on Baxter Gate is also still empty.

We asked the owner of Game People on George Street to comment on the closure of the national *GAME video-gaming chain last week. Game People owner Mike Pearce responded that it’s not just gaming, but trading is tough generally:

“It’s extremely difficult for the high street in general it’s not just gaming. Competition from supermarkets and online certainly do not help. Supermarkets can afford to sell products at a loss and make up any shortfall in the other thousands of products they sell. Internet retailers such as play.com and Amazon have exploited the VAT loop-hole for years something that is now only being closed. It won’t be the first or last high street store to close this year.

There are no signs of an improving economy. All I would add is that if people value their local shops then simply use them, butcher, baker or Newsagent – use them or lose them!”

“Buy local, shop local” on a more regular basis certainly seems to be a strategy that we can all participate in.

*Note: OpCapita bought the video GAME retailer out of administration on Sunday 1st April 2012, rescuing 3,200 jobs.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Debate, Hedon

Tagged , , , , ,

Town Council Newsletter Matters – March 2012

Posted on March 23, 2012 by | Leave a comment

THE LATEST newsletter from Hedon Town Council has recently been circulated with the March 2012 edition of the Holderness Heartbeat.

There are some interesting asides included. One of which refers to the new signage recently put in place by Hedon Green Print. It appears that the new boards placed on their Market Place premises need planning permission – and the local print shop is unlikely to obtain this. The new signs are not in keeping with the requirements of the Hedon Conservation Area (pdf).

In November 2010 the Hedon Blog commented:

“Local businesses want to attract residents and visitors into their premises. By doing so they advertise their premises in ways that ‘stand out’ from the crowd. Over a period of time a series of bright, modern advertising logos and signs dominate a town centre – and it begins to look like any other town centre in the country! The ‘local’ charm and uniqueness is lost!”

Whilst agreeing with this – it does seem that a balance has to be struck with those local businesses who wish to further invest in the town centre.

The planning system needs to work with local traders to guide them. Perhaps the idea of establishing a local forum for traders – at the very least an online town forum – is something that could help facilitate this?

Other interesting facts gleaned from the newsletter are:

  • The Town Council ‘precept’ for 2012/2013 has been set at £139,780. The precept is the amount levied on local council tax payers to enable Hedon Town Council to carry out its functions and services.
  • Parking enforcement officers have issued 24 parking tickets in Hedon between November 2011 and February 2012.
  • A petition has been received requesting that the Skateboard park be upgraded.
  • The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations have been confirmed as taking place on Monday 4th June 2012.


→ Leave a comment

Posted in Council News, Debate, Hedon

Tagged , , , , ,

Our Town Centre Online?

Posted on February 8, 2012 by | 1 Comment

RETAIL EXPERT Mary Portas recently produced a report – well publicised in the media – about the future of our High Streets and Town Centres. The Portas Review comments about the change in the retail landscape – particularly the development of online shopping – that has led to many town centres struggling to survive. It talks about re-invigorating and re-imagining our high street:

Portas states her aim is: “… to put the heart back into the centre of our High Streets, re-imagined as destinations for socialising, culture, health, wellbeing, creativity and learning. Places that will develop and sustain new and existing markets and businesses. The new High Streets won’t just be about selling goods. The mix will include shops but could also include housing, offices, sport, schools or other social, commercial and cultural enterprises and meeting places. They should become places where we go to engage with other people in our communities, where shopping is just one small part of a rich mix of activities.”

The Portas Report has many recommendations and ideas for “re-imagining” our town centres. Some of which have been commented upon by the Hedon Blog’s colleagues at Talk About Local – Six ways hyperlocal could help your High Street. One of these ideas is about creating an Online Town Centre.

An Online Town Centre would be a place where local people and visitors can go to find out about the latest offers, initiatives and news about the town centre. There might be a graphical representation of each of the shops and businesses, with links to websites and an opportunity to really develop and highlight the Buy Local message i.e. a pound spent locally has much more local impact than a pound spent elsewhere.

An Online Town Centre could help generate renewed interest and even enthusiasm about the place. It could help foster new relationships between local people and their local traders and entrepreneurs. Buy Local could turn into Love Local? It could prompt the formation of a ‘town team’ or forum dedicated to re-invigorating a town centre. It could also become the eMarketPlace for the town?

So how about it? Hedon Town Centre Online – can we – should we make it happen?

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Debate, Hedon, ICT

Tagged , , , ,

Wind Turbine Manufacturing – Devil in the detail

Posted on December 14, 2011 by | 1 Comment

THE NEWS that Alexandra Dock is to be developed as a base of operations, known as Green Port Hull, for wind turbine manufacturing will certainly have ramifications for the whole area.

Mostly we would expect positive benefits to arise from this development and the news of new jobs and investment will be warmly welcomed in the area.

However, it would be wise to see more details of what the proposals will mean in practice, particularly in terms of any increased local inconvenience that might be caused, before giving our unequivocal support. This is not to be negative about the development, but to be realistic.

As indicated by the Hedon Blog in November, the supply chain and cluster of industries needed to make Green Port Hull and the Humber Enterprise Zone successful could see land being developed right on our doorstep: See Proposal to develop Hedon Haven as employment land.

It is important that Hedon gleans the full benefits of this marvellous opportunity, but also takes steps to limit some of the inevitable downsides of this development.

Perhaps, it would be a good idea if local businesses, traders, community groups, our political representatives and other interested people met – perhaps at a public meeting – to consider developments, and take any necessary actions to ‘accentuate the positive, and eliminate the negative’ aspects of any proposals. It would also give local people an opportunity to get involved early and help shape any local proposals.

A more cautious welcome to the news perhaps, but as ever, the devil is in the detail!

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Debate, Hedon, Holderness, Hull

Tagged , , , , ,