Businesses asked for their views on improving Wolverhampton town centre
SHOPPERS, traders and other organisations are being asked for their views on how they see Wolverhampton city centre developing.
The Wolverhampton Healthcheck is intended to gauge how the city centre is perceived and the results of the survey will help determine what projects city centre partnership WV One should focus on.
The remit also covers which Portas Pilot projects might be continued and what areas should be covered as part of a future Business Improvement District.
The Healthcheck has been designed by the Association of Town and City Management as an important tool for understanding how a town or city centre is performing.
Responses will be compiled and assessed statistically, culminating in a detailed report highlighting positive perceptions and also areas of possible concern. Responses can also be compared to benchmark figures for similar town and city centres and, if carried out regularly, progress year on year can be measured.
The Healthcheck process is being managed by WV One on behalf of the Town Team.
Kim Gilmour, Operations Director said: “Acquiring quantitative and qualitative data is an important part of understanding what is happening in our centre. We want to know the positive aspects as well as any opportunities so we can use the data to make objective judgements about future activities.
“The survey is designed to be a simple, quick process with five modules covering shopping, entertainment, the streets, security and marketing and is written to cover centres of all sizes for comparisons rather than specific to Wolverhampton.”
WV One is an independent organisation funded by both the both public and private sectors. It works with a large number of public sector organisations and private businesses to make Wolverhampton a more attractive place to live, work, shop, visit and study.
It is also leading on the development of a BID for the city centre with the support of Mosaic Partnerships.
Wolverhampton was selected as one of the first to benefit from Portas Pilot funding. It received £100,000 to undertake a range of projects aimed at increasing entrepreneurial activity and filling vacant shops.
Wolverhampton Portas Pilot is split into three projects; Idea2Reality, Sights and Sounds and Wolverhampton Independent Network. It is led by WV One and managed via a steering group.
To take part in the survey organisations should visit http://www.towncentrehealthcheck.org.uk/logon.php or contact WV One on 01902 551077.
The survey ends on December 20.
