Issue - meetings

Issue - meetings

Mayor's Report

Meeting: 19/11/2014 - Council (Item 39)

39 Mayor's Report pdf icon PDF 79 KB

Minutes:

A report of the Mayor had been circulated with the agenda.

 

a)         Councillor S Williams referred to the positive news about empty properties contained within the Mayor’s report.  He noted it mentioned the Parade and High Street.  He asked the Mayor when the focus would shift from the Town Centre to other parts of the town including St Albans Road and Queens Road.  He considered it to be important to spread the economy rather than in one area.

 

            The Mayor responded that the aspect of empty properties was dependent on the market.  The Council was unable to influence individuals or companies to take an office or shop in St Albans Road.  The Council had no means to influence people unless a decision was made to use taxpayers money to grant rate relief to businesses. 

 

            The Mayor stated that the investment in the Town Centre had encouraged people to create ventures in that area.  This had been the point she had been trying to make in her report. 

 

            The Mayor advised Councillors that if there were projects or things they felt could be done in St Albans Road, within the remit of the Council and benefiting traders, she would be willing to listen to ideas.  It was important to do things that directly impacted on their trade.  She believed that people thought that the Council was able to find tenants for the many properties in St Albans Road.  She added that having looked at some of the properties, some of them were in an atrocious state.  Significant amounts of money would need to be invested in the properties.  She advised that many of the premises were owned by pension companies; the properties being one of many in their portfolio.  The companies did not reply to letters from the Council asking what action was being taken with their premises or attempts to improve them.

 

            In closing the Mayor said that where the Council was able to do something it would and the Town Centre was direct evidence of the Council’s work.

 

b)         Councillor Bashir stated that his question related to the new Watford Market.  He said that he accepted the old market needed significant investment.  He asked the Mayor whether she accepted that the new Watford Market, in respect of traders and patrons, faced significant difficulties.  He also sought assurances that the current problems and difficulties were being addressed.

 

            The Mayor commented that she did not fully accept the premise of the Councillor’s question.  She acknowledged that change was always unsettling, particularly for people as they got older.  She had made a point of visiting the market locality more.  She regularly received good and bad views about the market.  The idea of the new market was to appeal to new and different people.  She accepted that some of the regulars of the old market would find it different.

 

            The Mayor agreed that there had been teething problems and that there were still some matters that needed to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39


 

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