|
|
|
(1) Encouraging Business Development & Tourism
Lowestoft is a sub-regional centre which currently loses
some of its trade (e.g. for comparison shopping) to other
regional centres. Improvements to the main commercial areas
will help to protect jobs by retaining a greater proportion
of customers locally. Lowestoft is a significant tourism destination
within the area and is striving to provide an attractive quality
image to increase visitors.
The scheme will help achieve this by:
- Marketing and promotion of Lowestoft town centre and commercial
areas to develop its image.
- Increasing visitor awareness, numbers and length of stay
and retaining local custom from within the sub-region.
- Developing joint promotions & specialities/clusters
of retailers or service providers to meet particular customer
needs to develop or expand new or existing markets.
- Encouraging inward investment by new businesses and investment
in improving/expanding existing premises to create &
protect jobs.
- Creating areas for outdoor seating/pavement cafes, where
activities such as street entertainment are encouraged to
create life & vitality in the street.
- Undertaking a programme of events & themed markets
to draw in visitors & encourage people to stay longer
within the town centre.
- Linking business and tourism promotions to encourage increased
visitor numbers and local use to support town centre areas.
- Promoting town management to develop clear standards of
service and improve quality for town centre users.
- Improving facilities for market traders.
- Developing a partnership with local business associations
to generate a co-ordinated programme of events & promotional
initiatives for Lowestoft, with ongoing sponsorship to continue
this in the future.
(2) Improving Lowestoft`s Environment and Image
Lowestoft’s environment has a number of distinctive
qualities connected to its heritage as a seaside resort and
fishing port, but prominent areas of the town require improvements
to their environment and infrastructure. This scheme seeks
to establish a design vision for Lowestoft building on these
distinctive qualities and powerful images that exist locally,
creating a high quality public realm and improved facilities
for the town centre/seafront.
The approach will be to:
- Achieve a high quality of environmental treatment of public
spaces (including highways)
- Encourage private owners to maintain & repair /improve
their buildings to the highest level possible (with grant
assistance).
- Seek high design standards for new developments (following
the government advice “By Design” & “towards
an urban renaissance” in the Urban White paper) so
these enhance and complement the town’s image and
appearance.
- Encourage innovative approaches to creating “life
in the street” and raising levels of safety, security
& maintenance
The project will have the following environmental benefits:
- Encourage sustainable transport by encouraging walking,
cycling and the use of public transport
- Develop safe and accessible environments for all (including
those with mobility problems & families with young children)
- Enhance the environment of public areas to create a series
of attractive & distinctive spaces within the town centre
& seafront (including improvements to buildings, paving
& landscaping)
- Reinforce local character and where necessary improve
visual quality though the use of natural/high quality materials
- Create an attractive image for Lowestoft by co-ordination
of shop-fronts, advertising, street furniture & through
inclusion of distinctive lighting, signing, features, play
facilities and public art.
|
|
|
