Friday 30 July 2010

The Future of Ulverston's Tourist Information Centre

Photo Ian Taylor and used thanks to his Creative Commons License

At present we have an excellent set up.

At the moment we have a very good system operating for an important aspect of the town's economy - Tourism. An industry that has a direct impact on many of the shops in the town.

The upgrading of the County Square has made it the focal point for tourists arriving in the town.

Coaches deliver their tourists to this venue or to the nearby Victoria Bus Station.

The new Laurel and Hardy Statue has attracted tourists to the front door of the TIC, with nearby wide open doors has had its business double recently.

Here at the centre we have staff with as much as 20 years experience (and no less than 8 ) to give a wealth of advice to tourists.

The Laurel and Hardy Museum also benefits from being in the nearby Roxy building.

The possible future.

Yet because of the expenditure cuts proposed by the ruling Lib. Dems. all this could change as soon as April next year :

1. The staff at the TIC may have been dispensed with.

2. The offices in the Coronation Hall may no longer be available for Tourist Information and be restricted to a Box Office for the shows held in the Coro.

3. The uncertain future of the Roxy, now that the main use as a night club has been halted (with the exit of Gary Robinson), leaves the future of the Laurel and Hardy Museum in that location in doubt.

The outcome for the first two of these items hinges on the proposals to be made to a meeting called by SLDC , this Monday, for organisations to voice their intitial proposals.

So what would be good for the town :

1. That the Town Council take this service under their wing making an effort to involve the voluntary sector as well as professionals.

2. That they raise money were necessary by increasing our rates which they could if they wished.

3. That they get greater involvement with the Tourism Industry here so that they share some of the burden as well as the benefits of having a vibrant tourist economy.

4. That they push harder for an excellent web site for Ulverston instead of using their money to promote themselves as Councillors and allowing Jayne Kendal to opt out on the opportunities that were available to her leaving what is now a defunct web site (the demise of this site is an absolute disgrace in my opinion).

My concerns.

What concerns me is that I suspect that our local councillors are not taking the initiative to help solve this crisis. Unlike Grange who now have their own TIC , along with Broughton who took over the initiative two years ago and now I believe Coniston. These towns put Ulverston to shame - for how much longer?

Ulverston along with Kendal and Windermere have an uncertain future, if an organisation takes them all over, it will be Ulverston that will loose out.

I dread a future front page of the Evening Mail along previous lines when a picture of Colin Hodgson or another SLDC councillor is shown wringing their hands at the loss of yet another facility in the town. It seems that for the most part our councillors stand by and react to disaster rather be proactive and wrestle with a problem and offer a solution.

It would be good to find at the meeting this next Monday that this will not be true.

Important

For me, as someone very much involved with tourism in the town in the past, it is extremely important that we as a town take on the running of this facility and do not leave it to outsiders who also administer Kendal and Windermere to do it for us.

We have a very different product to sell and we should take charge of every aspect of selling it. A good TIC is one part of the jigsaw. A good web site would be another - but let's take one step at a time!

I'm hoping the Cllr Judith Pickthall, who has shown an interest in this situation as well as the health of our Town Market, has a few tricks up her sleave.

I'm also looking to our new Chair of the Ulverston Community Partnership, Paul Jarvis , to have some firm proposals that will rescue the situation as it is reported by our town clerk that they have expressed an interest in running the Coronation Hall based Ulverston TIC.

Frustrations in getting information

Since writing this I have spent a very frustrating time trying to reach people at SLDC offices four phone calls resulted in being tranfered to one office to another, receiving a statement that they would ring back and after two hours they have not, being tranferred to the correct extention but being left with and endlessly ringing town, in a following call being transferred to a silent line which remained that way of two minutes.

On the last occasion, getting the same operator ( and I still managed to be patient but persistent) I was finally put through to a real person - David Phillips who confirmed that a meeting called by Michel Keane was taking place but that the information was confidential and that members of the public were not to be admitted.

I shall now chase what information I can find through alternative channels. At times like this it is easy to give up.

The general attitude is "Leave it all to us and keep your nose out" only to find that those in charge are apathetic and only get involved in an ineffective way giveing everyone they can the impression that they are working hard. But are they?

What would be encouraging is to find that our District Councillors are not simply acting as bystanders to this process but are actively engaged in achieving a result. So far I have found that three Councillors have at least asked questions at the TIC - they are Judith Pickthall , Town Councillor, Norman Bishop-Rowe, both Town and District Cuncillor and Mark Wilson District Councillor. But what are they doing to support a local bid.

Being outside the system is very frustrating which makes me even more determined to get elected and be in a position to ask questions more effectively and to promote action where this is possible.

7 comments:

Gladys said...

I would have thought there is room for voluntary involvement, especially with an Ulverston web site. Golly, enough locals are keen bloggers and enjoy taking photographs. Ralph Spours keeps up with local news on his property sit, you let folk know some of the things going on from a different aspect and likely various groups have web sites too to inform and entertain.
I don't think rates should rise when the real need is for manageable cuts, especially in wastage. Some people with smaller than average incomes already pay far higher rates than average rate payers. It may not affect income support locals (not sure about that), but with inflation and low interest on savings, it could be hard for some to pay up.
The free travel is one of the most unfair benefits. They are useless for some folk who used to benefit with the old token system, and some people have a much higher income than the workers who have to contribute to the cost. It is crazy that those below average income, especially those struggling to pay bus fares or run a car to work, pay towards the cost of the over sixties taking the bus to go short distances when they are fit enough to walk, or long distances because they fancy a day out - here, there or everywhere.
Kicking against cuts just for the sake of it is a waste of personal and public resources. Coming up with alternatives is a different approach and one to be highly desired. Pulling together with a vision in view.

Unknown said...

Many town councillors have had all of these concerns since learning of SLDC intention to save money by cutting the TIC.
The meeting with SLDC is for them to release information about their proposals for closing the TIC. This information can then be used to consider whether an effective replacement service can be put in place by Ulverston itself.

Unknown said...

I note that you moderate your comments in the blog - "Reluctantly, I am moderating comments that are made, please feel free to be critical. However if you're just here to moan, find somewhere else - you won't get published!"

It would be polite to allow the people you name in your writings to have the same courtesy and moderate your comments before publishing.

Anonymous said...

Gladys
The situation regarding bus passes
you are not thinking it out.
Most of the bus routes are subsidised by the ratepayer and without the bus passes contribution would be withdrawn.
result NO BUSES.
I have seen old people who should not drive anyone over 60 should be made to take a re'test then again every two years including medicals
If you drive would you pass be honest.
Bus travel is green and saves energy helps traffic flow and helps to keep old dangerous drivers of the road if it helps its well worth it.
Look at the details of fatal accidents boy racers or old folk stand out WHY?
I have a pass and it is the only state benefit I have recieved after a lifetime of NI and tax contributions it has encouraged me to become greener

Geoff Dellow said...

Paul,

I don't know what this is all about.

I try not to put words into other people's mouth.

They can speak for themselves; invariably their comments will be published.

I stated:
"I'm also looking to our new Chair of the Ulverston Community Partnership, Paul Jarvis , to have some firm proposals that will rescue the situation as it is reported by our town clerk that they have expressed an interest in running the Coronation Hall based Ulverston TIC."

This is about me and not about you, and I notified you that I had made the comment.

So where else did I put my foot wrong?

There obviously must be something more serious.

Anonymous said...

Geoff can I guide Gladys through your blog.
Bus fares 'will increase if government axes fuel subsidy and bus passes.
Bus fares would rise steeply, routes cut and many jobs lost if a government grant is axed, it has been warned.
Bus fares could rise by 10%, many routes could be cut and jobs lost if a Government grant system falls victim to cuts
Ministers are considering cutting a subsidy which reimburses operators for the fuel duty they pay and bus passes.

But bus companies and transport campaigners claim this will have a negative impact on the poorest people and tip bus services into a ‘spiral of decline’.
Local authorities, bus operators, transport campaigners and unions have written to all MPs and transport secretary Philip Hammond urging him to retain the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG).
.The grant also covers rural, school and socially important services.
Protesters say doing away with it will make bus services open to the scale of cuts inflicted on the railways by Dr Richard Beeching in 1965 when 2,000 stations were closed and 70,000 jobs lost.
A previous study for the Government by the Commission for Integrated Transport found that every £1 invested in BSOG and passes provided between £3 and £5 of wider benefits.
I hope I have influenced your thinking Gladys
Ding Ding

Geoff Dellow said...

Paul and I have totally different approaches to dealing with people.

It would be good if could accept that I will never be like him and vice versa.

What works for me will not work for him.

My naming councillors and officers when describing my view of their actions works both ways.

They get praise and criticism.

If I get it right , this earns respect and keeps them on their toes.

If I get it wrong, I look a fool.

What I try to avoid is people reading criticism here first. I try to give them warning that I'm doing it.

From my perspective, my approach works - - for me!