“We need someone devoted to promoting our town”

By timesecholife on in All News, Community News

A town council has agreed to look into the possibility of re-introducing the role of a town centre co-ordinator to help promote a Moorlands town. In 2003, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council employed a separate town centre coordinator for each of it’s three towns – Cheadle, Leek, and Biddulph. However, all three roles were scrapped in 2010.

A town council has agreed to look into the possibility of re-introducing the role of a town centre co-ordinator to help promote a Moorlands town.

In 2003, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council employed a separate town centre coordinator for each of it’s three towns – Cheadle, Leek, and Biddulph. However, all three roles were scrapped in 2010.

Now Cheadle Town Council has agreed to look into the possibility of having such a role in place once more for their town.

The motion was put forward by councillor Ron Locker at a recent virtual meeting of the council.

Cllr Locker said: “Having a town centre coordinator in post was probably one of the best success stories this town has ever seen.

“We had one person devoted to promoting the town.

“I think now is the time to get someone who is employed by either the town, or district, or shared paid for – but someone to promote Cheadle, to have the sole time on doing this.”

Cllr Locker added: “I know it’s a difficult time, but now is the time to move us for the future.

“We are going to have all these houses built in town, so now is the time to have someone working for the town, looking at any funding for the town.”

The previous role of Cheadle Town Centre Coordinator was held by Helen Anderson, of whom cllr Locker praised her for the work she did in Cheadle during her six years in the role.

He told fellow councillors: “That one person was doing a sterling job. I know we have got volunteers in town, and councillors doing lots in town, but can we please try to find if it would be possible to have a town centre coordinator to solely promote Cheadle? We need to have someone to take the lead.”

Fellow councillors agreed that having a town centre coordinator for Cheadle once again would be good for the town, and some also praised Helen Anderson for what she had done previously.

During the town council meeting, it was mooted that cash, which had recently been given to the district council by the Government for ‘welcoming back’ shoppers to the high street – to the tune of £87 for across the district – could be used to help pay for the role.

The Times & Echo spoke to Cllr Locker last week to see if there was any update on his motion, to which he said: “We have our Town Clerk looking into potential costs of the role and we will hopefully have some ideas coming up shortly.

“I really think there is an opportunity to provide for the role of Town Centre Coordinator.

“Not only is there the Government High Street fund, but there is also Section 106 money which comes from developers.”

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