Signs Of Progress For Bromyard

What Next?

The puckered-mouthed, sour-faced jobsworths have struck once more!

Those unaccountable county council aparachiks who put petty rules before our town's prosperity have removed the road signs yet again.

Let us not stand for it! Suggestions for what we do next gratefully accepted.

More to follow.

A week gone by and the signs are still there!

Over a week has gone by and the signs are still standing! Let's hope they remain long enough to do some good.

My spies tell me that the 3 complaints made over the signs last time they were erected were:

• "We don't want any more visitors to the High Street because they'll see all the empty shops"
• "They'll only bring more people in and parking's bad enough as it is."
• "Why couldn't they have mentioned churches and 'moderate parking' (whatever that means)?"

Now I don't think I even need to comment on the first two but as for the third I really wish we could promote the churches in and around Bromyard as a resource and attraction but the comment slightly misses the point. The signs are there to try to drag visitors into Bromyard to part with their money and so help the town's businesses to survive and ultimately prosper.

Finally can I ask again anyone who thinks the signs should stay to leave a comment here or contact the newspapers, the council, anyone who will listen to publicise that view. Don't be apathetic, help make a fuss about this and maybe we'll even get them legalised one day and made more attractive to look at. But in the meantime we must keep them there even with a few imperfections as they have a job to do.

Signs Of Recovery? The Signs Are Back!

The signs are back at the top and bottom of the bypass to direct passers-by to our High Street. No longer will those passing through on the bypass be unaware there's a town here!

I'm told by the people responsible that they would have liked to make them prettier but with the likelihood that someone will again complain to the County Council and get them removed again the expenditure can't really be justified. So if you are one of the moaners who got them removed last time please keep quiet for a while at least, so that the signs can do a bit of good!

It would help if those people interested in getting more visitors to the High Street would express their support for the signs - by posting a comment here, writing to OTR or other local papers - as that may strengthen the case for keeping the signs and ultimately making them legal and so allowing those responsible to make them better.

Broken Promises?

After all the encouragement from the County Council in relation to the town's application for restoring proper signage to the bypass the "rules is rules" brigade seem to have flatly rejected the bid after all!

My spies tell me that Herefordshire CC have explained that because Highway Agency rules are against us we can't have the signs our High Street needs. These inflation-linked pension holding bureaucrats are once again putting rules before the prosperity of Bromyard's private businesses and we should not stand for it!

At this precise moment I have no grouch with our Town Council but if they take this lying down they will be failing our retailers in a massive way. They need to stand up to this and I urge everyone to communicate our support to the Council for any action they may take. If they don't act then we need to re-think!

There is a council meeting tonight. It would do no harm to remind our councillors what we expect from them.

The Signs Are Coming Back!

On Monday evening Bromyard Town Council approved an application for "Advertising Consent" to reinstate our signs on the bypass. Since then things have moved at a tremendous pace!

Herefordshire County Council have apparently indicated they will not only view this request very positively, they will even undertake to help get the new signs produced for Bromyard. These could well be in place before Easter!

We are talking about new metal signs, to be sited where the previous ones were on the bypass, still focusing on telling passing motorists that we have pubs, shops and cafés worth visiting. My guess is they will be in a more "heritage" style - probably cream lettering on a brown background - but even felt tip on a brick wall would be better than what we have now - i.e. nothing! They will also incorporate the new town slogan - watch this blog or www.bromyard.info for news on this in the next few days.

It may be we'll be able to put the old signs back as an interim measure once formal approval for the signs has been received so we could be back in action this month!

What have we learned from this?

Firstly we don't have to accept the old Bromyard whine of "We tried that and it didn't work!"

Secondly that pressure for change helps.

Thirdly that both the Town and County Councils are capable of making good decisions and taking the right action but need us, the people and businesses of Bromyard, to help them see what the priorities are.

I just hope the tiny number of moaners and whingers who scuppered the first lot of signs aren't too upset by this news. Do I mean that? You decide!

Update On The Signs

It is rumoured that planning permission will be applied for next week to reinstate the signs that were removed back in November. This will either get them back whilst a more elegant solution is investigated or at very least "smoke out" the objectors!

Geoff Hughes, Director of Regeneration at Herefordshire Council and Adrian Blackshaw, Cabinet Member for the same have committed to finding a solution to the signage issue. I'll try to get their specific email addresses but meanwhile it would be helpful for as many people as possible to write to them c/o the Council Offices in Hereford stressing the strong feeling in the town that we desperately need improved signage to help our High Street businesses.

Address:

Brockington
35 Hafod Road
Hereford
Herefordshire, HR1 1SH

Phone and email details off the website (may or may not be those of the named individuals - but worth a go):

Tel: 01432 261758
Fax: 01432 383031
E-Mail: economicinvestment@herefordshire.gov.uk

Signs Of Change

Sorry it's been quiet on here but don't think nothing has been happening!

Pressure has been put onto Herefordshire Council from a number of sources, not least the outrage generated by this blog, and action is being planned.

My spies tell me that a Council Officer has been tasked with finding a legal solution that meets our objectives for signage early in the New Year. Definitely a sign of change.

We can't leave it at that though. We need to add pressure to ensure that the project is seen through ... and QUICKLY. I'll add a further post on this in a few days as I believe an email and/or letter campaign to the right people will help. I'm just digging out the appropriate contact details so will be back soon with more.

If we can get action on this then we can on other issues too! Long Live the People's Republic of Bromyard!!!

Thank you all for your support and have a great Christmas.

Update On The Bromyard Signs

Firstly can I suggest that anyone coming to the blog for the first time gets up to speed by reading the first post, entitled "Where Did The Signs Go?" before reading this one. It will get you into the swing of things!

Secondly I'm amazed to find that in less than a week since this blog went live we have had over 350 visits from nearly 60 unique visitors who between them have made 14 comments. Thank you very much for that response. I sometimes hear the BMW's* say Bromyard people don't care, so that's nailed that lie! Can I invite the 46 visitors who didn't leave a comment to please do so on their next visit, not necessarily to show support for the views expressed here, but at least to show support for Bromyard. This forum can become a powerful tool to demonstrate to other media organisations (papers, TV, radio) and politicians and civil servants that Bromyard has opinions and is prepared to share and express them. So even if you just say "Hi", it all helps with the numbers.

(* BMW's = Bitchers, Moaners, Whingers)

I'd like to address a couple of good points raised by "Titus" and "Boogaloo" and invite any additional comments on these.

First question was why planning permission had not been sought for the signs rather than putting them up "illegally".

The impression received when the issue first came up was that this topic had been on the agenda for many years without anybody doing anything but talking about it. What was desperately needed was action rather than words otherwise any remaining shreds of confidence in our establishments would in my humble view have gone for good. I have observed in most instances (with one remarkable exception - the schools crisis) that the natural reaction to a challenge from many is to cuddle up, create a nice new committee and practice speechmaking.

So what happened was that something happened.

With hindsight the signs should have had planning permission applied for, they could have been better designed and with more consultation sought. But they were there for a while and although the "dark side" got them torn down I don't believe we are back at stage one. We are in a position to repeat the exercise and make it more successful this time and give the town what it needs.

In a few days time this blog will enable all interested parties to join a new discussion to positively decide how we resolve, once and for all, the issue of signage for the town.

Second question raised by Titus was "Isn't that what the Council is for?" My view on that question is a resounding "No". In my opinion the Council has a duty to provide whatever support it can to the town's businesses but the "marketing strategy" for the town's businesses needs to come from the businesses themselves and their representative organisations.

In the opening post I asked the question "Could the Town Council have done more to save the signs?" and that is a valid question but I don't think they could have acted much differently in reality. It was the County Council who could have shown rather more backbone on behalf of Bromyard businesses.

I am confidently expecting some serious help from the Town Council in understanding the procedure for getting the signs approved and reinstated and that is their role. It's up to the businesses themselves to state what is required to help them.

How might they do that?

Well the answer is truly not to create yet another talking shop. My view is that the Chamber Of Commerce needs to take on the mantle of mouthpiece for the town's businesses and drive the action for change that we need so badly. It needs to become more relevant, more inclusive and most of all more dynamic and action-based. And in case that seems too easy, it has to show this change in the next month or two or it will miss the opportunity.

As for the comment relating to "newcomers" needing to avoid offending "natives" all I will say is I wasn't born here but I do expect to end my days here and if that doesn't qualify me for having a go at improving things then we'll have to agree to differ! Equally my intention is never to offend even if do get a bit wound up!

So please, please provide some feedback. If you agree say so, if you disagree say so, best of all if you've a new idea throw it in the ring. Just click on the "Comments" link below and have your say. And please tell other Bromyard stakeholders about the blog and get them to join in.

Where Did The Signs Go?

Earlier this year there was a meeting at the Hop Pole attended by Bromyard councillors, retailers and other business owners and other folk interested in the survival of the town as a functioning centre of business.

Several retailers made the point that travellers passing through Bromyard via the bypass would not know that our traditional High Street contained a wealth of shops, pubs and cafés and so already struggling businesses were being denied passing trade that could make a real difference to their income.

It was clear that this issue had been debated for many years and although those in a position to do something about it showed great accomplishment in excusing these years of inertia there was no positive reaction of any kind to solving the problem. A similar debate took place soon afterwards at a meeting of our Chamber of Commerce with identical results - or rather lack of results.

Then something very unusual happened.

Some unidentified individual or individuals did something about it. They actually took action rather than making excuses for doing nothing. They erected signs on the bypass that told passing motorists there were places to visit in Bromyard. “Pubs, Shops, Cafés – This Way”

For a few weeks they were a sign (pun fully intended) that things could change in Bromyard. That positive action could be taken to help our businesses. That negativity could be replaced with progress. Some people thought they looked great, others thought they were a bit garish, but the level of support was significant. There was clear evidence that visitors came to our businesses who would not have done so otherwise. They made a difference.

Then it all changed! Early in November the signs disappeared, torn down by person or persons unknown.

It has now emerged that this action was taken by Herefordshire County Council in response to three complaints from Bromyard residents that the signs were unsightly. Since there was no formal planning approval for the sites there was no need to consult and so down came the signs.

It has come to my attention that one of the complaints was along the lines of: “We don’t want people coming into Bromyard and seeing all these empty shops, it will give us a bad name”. Another complained that the signs mentioned “pubs” where it should have mentioned “churches” and “moderate parking” (whatever that means).

The shops, pubs and cafés in our town need every bit of help they can get. Tough times are here and will get worse. The signs would not have transformed our High Street but were a step in the right direction. The obvious question to ask is: “Which would bring more business to the town – these signs or no signs?”

·       Just who was it who believed their "taste" in signage was more important than the town's prosperity?

·       What are their suggestions for helping our businesses or do they just want to block any attempt at improvement?

·       Why did our County Council not do more to support Bromyard businesses in their time of greatest need?

·       Could our Town Council do more to get the signage issue resolved?

·       How do the views of 3 individuals take precedence over the views of most of the town's businesses?

What are we going to do about this? Not just lie down and take it I hope. We need to replace the signs with new ones that have planning approval and will do the job our businesses need. And we need to move quickly, not fall back into the previous pattern of prolonged debate and ongoing inaction.

Anyone can add comments to this blog by clicking on the “Comments” link below. We would welcome positive suggestions regarding how we might move this town forward or just messages of support. We would particularly appreciate input from those who got the signs torn down, they must have some really great ideas on helping the town and we invite them to share those!