A power-point presentation outlining a way for the regeneration of Batley's Commercial Street, through local trade initiative and creative arts placement.

1. ‘Wont you take me to... Our Funky Town…not Ghost town’
Batley Urban-Village Arts; Regenerating and re-mending our streets & commerce
Presented by Kirklees Filmmakers; Meirul Din-Manning

2. A strategy for the revitalisation of Commercial
street through local trade and dynamic activity
Our aims in this presentation today, will be to;
• Indicate briefly who we are, what we are about and
why
• Give a brief historical overview of Batley
• Of Batley’s recent past… our present situation …and
future need
…and to proceed to a strategy for success

3. In particular…
• To examine Batley’s Commercial street, from the main
Market Square to the Super-store of Tesco’s and the
empty Batley Arcade, Alfred’s Way
• To highlight our Latent Skills and opportunities
• To advocate a multi-layered approach to wealth
generation and creative sustainability
• To indicate layers of involvement
• To advocate for the way and type of use of our High
Street regarding the empty shop-units
• To briefly consider a time-line & budgets
• …and a Summary

4. So what are we about?
….Cutting to the chase
I represent a not-for-profit local Filmmaking enterprise, acting as
a catalyst for local groups and organisations. We aim to highlight
and promote these endevours
I am based in the Batley Resource Centre and have outreach
programmes of education through the medium of Film and Media
I have a background in Film, television and Journalism
We fund-raise, develop projects, liaise with schools, community
groups and organisations
Through these programmes I have come to see the difficulty that
my home town is suffering from and I want to play an active role
in its remedy

5. Batley…from riches to rags
From a wealthy and industrious background, Batley is
suffering from empty shops, a lack of local and outside
visitors, it’s footfall continuing to drop and a lack of
creative endevour attracting local and regional interest
Batley is sliding into decay, which we want to address
here and to help initiate and lead a revitalised High
Street and reverse this process
We propose to show measures and strategies to combat
various problems which face this town as it does in so
many others within the UK
With empty shops and a poorer people within the
locality since the 1870’s! we must address this and face
this reality. We have ‘Food Banks’ in our town which is
shocking

6. It’s not all doom and gloom…
we have a great local base of ‘Latent energy’
…an unrealised potential to be utilised.
Although we advocate a creative arts approach, we also
must emphasise the need for local regenerated trade
and wealth acquisition
Arts cannot lead, they compliment and encourage and
ultimately celebrate a creative energy
We want to establish a strong creative arts base but we
also acknowledge that an allied creative endevour,
through trade will compliment and strengthen these ‘art’
projects

7. Overview and historical precedent...
Batley, mentioned in the Doomsday Book, was part of the great textile
industries of this region and noted for the invention of ‘shoddy’ a new
material made from disused woollen rags.
Batley has traditionally been a local regional centre with outlying parish
villages
Batley was enhanced by the establishment of its Town Hall and the Carnegie
Library which was built in 1853 and 1907 respectively
The neo classical architectural style provides an arena of elegance and stability
which enhances the town and its neighbouring country-side

8. Batley’s recent past.. (Lest we forget)
Commercial Street, which this report focuses on, also has a
further architectural style now in existence, which is the low
‘Mansard’ Roofed architecture which has replaced a
demolished and previously unified street
With the hostile take-over of Hilliard's in 1987, by they
supermarket giant Tesco, a large retail space, car parking
and Petrol outlet is acquired
The demolition of the Hilliard shop fronting commercial
street and its new warehouse build is completed by 2004
with the footbridge concession added soon after
With Tesco’s itself facing financial difficulty; it must be
realised that creative solutions by can benefit each other

9. What we have at the present…
..an empty and impoverished High Street
02 Shop to let Greggs Lloyds bank Shop to let Boots Card factory Shop to let Coral B shop Pawnbrokers charity shop newsagents Shop to Let shop to let
Tesco and footbridge Clothes shop Frozen foods Betting Shop pound shop Specsavers Shop to let Penny arcade Arts Initiative from Shop to Le Entrance to 13 shops to let
We have 10 empty shops on Commercial street and the Town Square with a closed Police Station
…and 13 empty units in Alfred’s Way Arcade

10. Beginning a Strategy for Success…
Local Government and the
Sustainable Communities Act 2007 (2010)
David Cameron’s stated aim in the Conservative Manifesto of
2010 was to create a climate that empowered local people and
communities, building a "big society" that would take power
away from politicians and give it to local people.
The Sustainable Communities Act of 2007 (Amended in 2010)
which is to put in place the ability for local voice and initiative
to be heard and implemented, enabling greater input into
local jobs, facilities and initiatives
Local government is obligated by law to listen to its local
citizens, even if they are in need of technical facility which
should then be provided; local voices should then be guided
though not steered by this technical involvement

11. Latent Skills and the Inter-cultural…
Interested parties will be sought for a completed
inclusiveness
Inter-cultural; A point perspective but with meeting and
exchange
These latent skills must be discovered; green shoots must
be identified and nurtured. They abound in all areas and
regions, a strategy should be made to discover them
The local voluntary sector shows an abundance of care and
consideration, Vintage Days, local festivals and celebrations
show a willingness to participate
Positive building blocks are in place, it remains to be
recognised, nurtured and built upon

12. Interventions and opportunities
Cutting the Mustard…
A multi-layered approach must be utilised; activities as well
as types of involvement which must include commerce and
trade
Static shop-fronts are not enough, we need activity and real
use
Tesco’s must allow greater flexibility and encourage back
local enterprise which retains wealth in the local area
‘Art’ endevours then have a far greater scope for success
and longevity. They will compliment and attract outside
footfall and dynamic

13. Examples of involvement…
a shaped and nurtured environment
We should seek out creative enterprises, creating a mix
which is then sought out.. From a creative solution working
backwards, so to speak.
Local graduates (Leeds, Bradford & Huddersfield) can be
sought out and invited into the units and shop fronts with
minimum rents and rates
They are selected after establishing what will make a
successful composite whole
These layering's of creative endevour then have a much
greater chance of success, attracting those of greater
purchasing power
Local residents may find it difficult not to participate, but to
purchase, so a consideration to participation must be made

14. So what are the examples for our Funky Town?
Funk & Punk! Boutiques in the Zone
• Cakes and Bakes..Coffee’s and Cream
• Indie clothes, dress-makers and ‘Tee’s’
• Leatherman; Bags, buckles and Belts!
• Ceramic Tile and Pottery wheel works
• Handmade Furniture and home-ware
• Fusion Restaurant; Cous Cous- Kiss Kiss
• Indie Cinema for day & evening viewing
• 3 Studio’s supporting Painting Sculpture and Ceramics
• A Workshop Centre to Host Schools and Community
participation with projects run by in-house practitioners
• A small office for management of the enterprise

15. Commercial Street Revisited….
Shops must be busy on our High Street…
…markets trading on our Square
‘Trade with low rents must be encouraged, including a
revitalised open trade market within the market square’
• A working Gallery/studio with a creative artist making in-situ.
• A high quality local furniture maker; a showroom for settee’s
ottomans and chaise longue.
• Homemade confectionary or soaps and perfumes, beads and
jewelry
• Trained shoemaker and leather maker
• A medicinal/herbal shop of alternative healing
From consultative and investigative need, 5 shops are filled
with local enterprise including business support from existing
networks
An overview to enhancement and compatibility is undertaken
through review and assessment

16. A Timeline of Operations…
This can tentatively be set at three years of nurturing
which coincides with the Creative Scene directive
having a similar timescale of implementation
Further layers of operation are needed, including local
festivals as well as invited markets; German, French
and Spanish visitors and Traders
Rents must be kept to a minimum so that all profits can
be retained by the visitors
It is a service and a benefit to the place which must be
recognised as such, and not to increase local
government revenue!
There will have to be investment by various
stakeholders, and/or payment in kind, including local
government, established business’s and community
groups

17. Budgets and Costs
‘Can’t afford it… can’t afford not too’
Alfred’s Way will need refurbishment as well as a
commission for the leaded lights and design along the
glass fronts leading to the Petrol Station on the
Bradford Road
Rents should be with-held except for minimum
caretaking and electric charges and access maximized
under consultative consideration
Landscaping and seating to be re-valued although a
robust design is in place
Shop-front shuttering should be assessed for a painted
design intervention creating a unity and interest when
shops are closed

18. A Runway for success… in conclusion
High rents and networked distribution kill and restrict trade, as much as
interest debt and economies of scale
Access to a free market (or at least with minimized rents) is the only
solution to local endevour which has been stifled and extinguished over
the last three decades
The seeds are there and local talent, endevour and commitment exists
There is a way forward; a degree of selflessness will be needed, with a
support network in place to let new enterprise grow and be nurtured