Seeing Carlisle from the artist’s perspective
Last updated 11:30, Friday, 17 July 2009

Think you know Carlisle? Even lifelong residents of the Border City can now see the place from a brand new perspective.

The city council is opening up the ninth floor of the Civic Centre next week to give people a bird’s eye view. The tours are part of Carlisle Arts Festival and will be led by artist Derek Eland, who has had a studio on the ninth floor since last October.

“It’s a gallery out onto Carlisle,” says Derek. “Working up there has completely changed my view of the city. That perspective gives you an understanding of Carlisle and how it fits together.

“I’ve got some work up there that people can look at, based around some of the issues the city is facing: a theatre, Castle Way, the new university.

“At the end I’ll ask them to write down their thoughts on what they like about Carlisle and what they’d like to see changed. At the end of the week their ideas will be fed into Renaissance thinking.”

The ninth floor viewing area has been christened the Sky Gallery and Derek hopes that sufficient demand next week could see it open to the public more often.

“You appreciate the building much more when you’re inside looking out. There are so many examples elsewhere of the tallest building in a city being used as a viewing platform.”

Tours take place from Monday to Friday inclusive. There are two tours per day, at 11am and 1pm, each lasting one hour, meeting in the foyer, with a maximum 20 visitors per group on a first come, first served basis. All visitors will be given a ninth floor studio badge and will be taken by lift to the studio and back down.

Taken from The News & Star / [Link] / [Back to top]

Why shoppers have deserted one of Carlisle's strongest retail areas
Last updated 15:30, Thursday, 16 July 2009

When Cromie & Robinson shuts up shop next month, it will mark the end of an era for Botchergate.

Once known as “Butchergate”, the area has changed beyond recognition in the past 50 years. Gone are the shoppers popping from shop to shop to stock up, in their place are derelict buildings and litter from the night before.

The butchers – a Botchergate institution for a century – is the last in a long line to have served a street now full to the brim with pubs and clubs.

At one point Cromie & Robinson found themselves competing with 11 other similar businesses, while a bakers, a post office, a fishmonger and a Kwik Save supermarket all enticed shoppers to the bustling street.

Two years ago, Carlisle’s last independent fishmongers, Forsters fish and game dealers, made the decision to move out of town after 125 years of trading on Botchergate.

It’s a sign of the way shopping on Botchergate has declined since, as a 13 year-old schoolboy, Clive Robinson, owner of Cromie & Robinson, got his first taste of life as a butcher.

Forty-nine years on, and despite loyal customers, rising overheads are forcing Clive, 62, to close the doors on the business.

Having run the shop as his own since 1973, when he closes the doors for the final time on August 7 it will be on a street which, as he says, has already “lost a lot”.

He said: “There’s plenty of people that come in and I’ve got a lot of contracts, but it just isn’t enough any more.

“It will be a wrench leaving, because I’ve really got to know the customers over the years.”

Now, boarded up businesses serve as a reminder of what used to be there and the street finds itself largely ignored by the city centre’s daytime crowd.

Carlisle Renaissance – the group set up four years ago to help regenerate the city – believes that the problems which surround Botchergate are “complex”.

Ian McNichol, Director of Carlisle Renaissance, said: “Botchergate is a complex story. In part it is driven by recession and in part it is driven by changes in people's lifestyles, where they chose to shop for basic food items, where they chose to drink etc.

“You also need to look at the surrounding area: for example there are a growing number of vacant units on the industrial estate behind Botchergate, and where the music store was there is now a housing development site, which failed to come to fruition even before the recession kicked in. And yet there are two large off street car parks in very close proximity and on-street parking in the surrounding streets.”

But, while the traditional face of Botchergate may be permanently changing, Mr McNichol believes it could in future attract a more individual type of store.

He said: “Botchergate, particularly the area south of Crown Street, could attract more specialist retail uses, which aren't in competition with the high street multiples and the supermarkets, or space for the creative industries to establish themselves.

“The old church on Cecil Street – which runs parallel to Botchergate – is now opening up as artists’ studios. It is fair to say that the role Botchergate fulfils is changing and we have to figure out what direction we want that change to take, and whether we can do anything to help.”

There are businesses which are trying to lead a revival with stores they believe can entice the shoppers back onto Botchergate.

Fran Boyd is certainly trying her hardest to make a success of retail on Botchergate. Her vintage boutique, Goodbye Norma Jean, trades out of the street’s Price Crash Department Store and she remains adamant that, despite the latest set-back, the area still has plenty to offer people if they decide to step off the high-street.

“There are a lot of people who come down here at night,” she said. “So there’s no reason that the same amount of people can’t come here during the day.

“It’s really close to town and very accessible from the train station so it’s really good for the tourists.

“I think that people don’t want to walk too far from the city centre, but they could be missing something.”

Part of the problem could be that beyond the night life, people don’t realise what else they can find on Botchergate.

She said: “It’s a case of getting people to know about me through word of mouth spreading really. What we’ve got here is an independent traders hall with quite a few independent market traders who are basically trying to offer an alternative to the high street.

“We’ve got a new manager here and the traders are trying really hard – it’s a great opportunity for people to start something up.

“If people aren’t wanting to drive to the big Tesco or other out-of-town places they can pick up household stuff here like cleaning product, CDs and DVDs. Food shops are the one thing the area is lacking – but it’s very hard to compete.

“If people stop thinking about low prices at any cost and think more about good service and having somebody they can talk to when they come in, then people will come here.

“I think old people still value that.”

Councillor Mike Mitchelson, leader of Carlisle City Council, confirmed that Botchergate had not been forgotten about.

“Botchergate is an important gateway to the city and has the potential to show what this city can offer in terms of business and retail opportunities.

“We will be working with our partners, including Carlisle Renaissance, to find a solution which will encourage a mix of development that will enhance this area of the city.”

And retail businesses could take inspiration from the group set up to publicise the night-time entertainment that Botchergate offers.

The Botchergate Promotions Group – which involves local pubs and marketing experts from the University of Cumbria – met for the first time last month and plans to encourage locals to come to Botchergate on all nights of the week.

While they are predominantly concerned with night-time trade, one of the long-term plans being mooted is a return to the traditional carnival, complete with floats.

After years of decline, the plan could see a community spirit return to Botchergate and draw together the day- and night-time businesses in a united revival.

Taken from The News & Star / [Link] / [Back to top]

How Cumbria's towns can survive the out of town superstore threat
Last updated 11:25, Friday, 10 July 2009

The old buildings have been torn down and broken up, where they stood the land is now flat and rubble-strewn. Bulldozers, cranes and hard-hats will be next – subject to planning permission.

The economy may be in recession but it’s business as usual for the nation’s supermarkets.

In May, Sainsbury’s reported an 11 per cent rise in annual profits, while Tesco announced pre-tax profits up 8.8 per cent – breaking the £3bn barrier for the first time in its history.

Both giants have ambitious expansion plans for new stores across the UK – both involving Cumbria.

Sainsbury’s this week unveiled £40m plans for a 60,000sq ft store at Caldewgate, Carlisle.

If planning permission is granted, it could open by Christmas 2011.

A smaller outlet will be operated by the company on Scotland Road, while work on a new Aldi store on London Road to the south of the city is underway and Tesco could open a new superstore in the Morton area of Carlisle.

The prospect of the Sainsbury’s supermarket in Carlisle has forced local businesses and politicians to focus on how to attract people into the city centre.

It is a concern that is also facing Wigton which looks set to get a new Tesco supermarket and a Lidl store.

The positives of getting a new superstore are obvious: construction work, then new jobs in-store; wider shopping choice; more competition; the possibility of attracting other business to the area.

But there are also downsides.

Out of town stores have been blamed for sucking the life-force out of city and town centres, as well as forcing the closure of smaller competitors.

They can cause traffic bottlenecks and problems for neighbouring residents.

The new Sainsbury’s superstore will be to the west of the city, mirroring the giant Tesco at Rosehill to the east and matching the Asda and Morrisons stores to the north.

The hope is that these supermarkets attract people from outside the area who go on to shop in the city centre.

The fear is that they act as buffer zones, ring-fencing towns and cities so shoppers only venture so far and don’t bother travelling further into the town or city.

This is the worry for many about the new Tesco superstore at Workington’s Cloffocks site.

But the ring of a supermarket till is not necessarily the death knell for a town or city centre.

Rob Johnston, chief executive of the Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, says Carlisle and other towns have to develop ways to attract the shoppers into their centres.

He is concerned that the big stores are becoming responsible for more than just food shopping and provide a range of electrical, lifestyle and clothing goods along with the milk, potatoes and beans.

Town and city centres have to offer more of a shopping experience, with places to eat and drink and to enjoy culture and history.

But Mr Johnston says this doesn’t necessarily mean launching big and expensive projects.

“The supermarkets like to site on fairly important routes into a town or city but how do you make it so that it adds value to the city or town, so that people come to Carlisle to enjoy your retail offer?” he asked.

“It is not as simple as saying ‘we want them’ or ‘we don’t want them’, it is about strategic planning for the city.

“We have to say we can achieve a lot with this store which will bring a lot of people to the area.

“We just have to get them past the stores and into the town. You have to give people a reason to come into the town centre.

“Carlisle’s biggest offer at the moment is not culture, hopefully that will come in the future but for now it is retail and the variety of shops we have.”

Small independent traders and town centres can survive the impact of supermarkets. Mr Johnston pointed across the Solway to Castle Douglas which has developed a reputation as a foodie town despite hosting both a Tesco and a Co-op supermarket.

“The stores do not have in-store bakeries or butchery but offer volume shopping while specialist shops survive outside,” he explained.

The need for a mixed economy involving small, independent, specialist shops was echoed by Carlisle City Councillor Marilyn Bowman, portfolio holder for economy.

“For Carlisle, it is really important to have the small, specialist shops as well, we need that mix.

“Supermarkets are a product of the lifestyle people live now, it is the one-stop shop.

“But we as a council are encouraging small outlets to come to the city, Carlisle is a city on the verge of growing into the place to be in the north of England.”

She said that developing the city centre was key to its future: “We have a great opportunity with the Carlisle Renaissance.

“People tend to have this idea that nothing is going on but an awful lot is going on, many of the projects in the Renaissance will come to fruition.

“It takes time to get them right and we need to be sure we are doing them right.”

Mrs Bowman couldn’t specify which projects but said they involved the university and the historic quarter of the city.

“It is a difficult time for us financially at the moment but we will deliver what is right for Carlisle.”

Innovation and providing an attractive ambience are key for city and town centres to survive and thrive according to one economic expert.

And he downplayed the effect a new supermarket would have on the spend in Carlisle.

Professor Frank Peck, research director at the Centre for Regional Economic Development at the University of Cumbria, reckons that the supermarkets will take customers from each other, rather than draw them from shopping centres.

“It is more likely that you will get competition between the supermarkets.”

He believes the increase in supermarkets draws attention to “the imperative of maintaining the attractiveness of town centres”.

The professor was part of a Carlisle Renaissance group which visited Lisburn and Belfast in Northern Ireland and Glasgow to see how they promoted their public spaces.

“You have to do more to celebrate culture and history which is part of the debate that has already taken place in Carlisle,” he said.

“People go into a town for a different kind of shopping trip, often you are doing more than just shopping.

“People have to be innovative about the city centre.

“Its assets are a mix of shops, public spaces, activities, cafes and general ambience, it is a different experience to going to a supermarket.”

Professor Peck said pressure could be put on any new supermarket to boost the local economy through its recruitment and supply policies.

Local politicians and development agencies could promote and assist the recruitment of staff from less privileged backgrounds.

And they could request that local food producers are used, following the example of the Booths chain of supermarkets.

Booths themselves are planning to enlarge their existing store in Penrith.

Mr Johnston warned that car access and parking provision will be vital to the survival and success of our town and city centres.

“The danger is that if it gets more difficult to get into the town centre to park, people will just go to the supermarket where they can park outside for free,” he explained.

“If you pay for parking on exit, people have a different attitude to shopping.

“If you pay on parking, you are mindful of getting back before your time limit but the other way, you are more likely to extend your stay, have a coffee or a meal and visit more shops.”

Cranston’s butcher on Fisher Street, Carlisle, has battled against increasing competition from the supermarkets.

Managing director Philip Cranston is gloomy about the effects more superstores will have on our traditional shopping centres.

“The more supermarkets ring- fence towns, the more town centres will suffer.

“Supermarkets are very powerful and inevitably they seem to get their way but it all makes it harder and harder for the High Street.

“City and town centres have to offer something different but car parking is the biggest factor.

“We have to look at what the supermarkets offer and make sure we provide service, quality and value.

“But it is always a question of how close can a customer get to park near the shop.

“People like to drive up to a shop and walk in.”

Mrs Bowman added: “Supermarkets offer choice and employment and flexibility for people to shop but I’m keen that people support the small, specialist businesses as well.

“They provide a really good service to the local community.

“They provide a service that you don’t get in a supermarket – the personal touch for people.”

Taken from The News & Star / [Link] / [Back to top]

Sainsbury’s plans gateway sculpture for Carlisle store
Last updated 14:58, Wednesday, 08 July 2009

Sainsbury's wants to put an “iconic gateway sculpture” inspired by Carlisle Castle outside its proposed supermarket in the city’s Caldewgate area.

Designs for the 60,000sq ft Carlisle store, submitted last week, are available to view at the Civic Centre.

Sainsbury hopes that the £40m development will open by Christmas 2011 creating between 450 and 500 jobs.

The plans are as anticipated apart from the sculpture at the corner of Bridge Lane, a site identified by Carlisle Renaissance for “public art”.

Sainsbury’s planning application says: “The sculpture has been designed to evoke visual references to nearby Carlisle Castle.

“We have used this inspiration to propose four vertical mesh structures positioned on the corner in juxtaposition to each other in a direct reference to the castle gatehouse.”

It would be lit at night.

Sainsbury’s has lodged a battery of evidence in support of its planning application.

It describes the store as a “simple, contemporary building with clean lines and modern materials”. These include glass, metal cladding and timber, and a feature glazed stair/lift.

The drawings show a store set back from Bridge Street, between Byron Street and Willowholme Road, with a mezzanine restaurant above.

Outside is a petrol station and parking for 446 cars, 22 motorcycles and 24 bikes.

Access for customers’ cars is from Bridge Street, controlled by traffic lights, while delivery vehicles reach the store from Willowholme Road.

Sainsbury’s also proposes to provide an additional lane in Bridge Street for vehicles turning right into the store and an extra eastbound lane in Church Street and Bridge Street as far as Bridge Lane.

There would be a pedestrian crossing in Bridge Street and a new eastbound bus lay-by.

A traffic assessment argues that roads will be able to cope with any extra traffic although it admits that the store will attract 997 vehicles during the evening rush hour.

However, Sainsbury’s argues its store will end the need for people in the west of Carlisle to cross the city to shop. It claims that 35 per cent of customers will switch from Morrison’s, 31 per cent from Asda and 34 per cent from Tesco.

Sainsbury’s also says that it has huge public support. Of 584 feedback cards, 547 were in favour of the supermarket.

Taken from The News & Star / [Link] / [Back to top]

Liverpool business boss tipped for development agency job
Last updated 12:19, Friday, 03 July 2009

A Liverpool businessman is the hot favourite to become the next chairman of Cumbria’s regional development agency.

Robert Hough, of property firm Peel Holdings, is now thought to be the only runner in the race to become the next chairman of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). Rival Felicity Goodey, a former TV presenter, is understood to have dropped out.

A formal announcement is expected to be made in the House of Commons before the parliamentary recess begins later this month.

Ms Goodey and Mr Hough were interviewed for the post, which carries a salary of £80,510 a year for a three-day week.

The current chairman is Bryan Gray, chairman of the Carlisle Renaissance board, who is stand down from his NWDA duties in December.

Taken from The News & Star / [Link] / [Back to top]

Carlisle does not have any civic pride - art professor
Last updated 13:06, Friday, 03 July 2009

A Cumbrian-born art professor now living in San Francisco believes Carlisle has a “lack of vision” when it comes to art in public places.

Conrad Atkinson is a Professor of Art at the University of California. He returns to his native Cumbria for one month a year and says there is just no sense of “urban life” in the city.

Mr Atkinson said: “The problem is a lack of vision. The Argentineans say a city without culture is a city without a face and that’s what I see when I come back to Carlisle.

“The people are wonderful, tough, resilient and bright but there is no civic pride.

“The Viaduct – which is a Victorian masterpiece – is a disgrace. The way they have covered over some of the railings is shocking – it is one of the main entrance and exits to the city.”

Mr Atkinson, who was born in Cleator Moor, west Cumbria, has come up with his own designs as to how the Viaduct could look with a bit of imagination. “It could be so nice,” he said. “The war memorial in the city centre is also a disgrace – it’s like a tombstone.”

Mr Atkinson says Dixon’s Chimney – which he describes as our Angel of the North – could be better used to project art and encourage students to display their work.

He said: “Last week I opened an art exhibition by wonderful students who are very eager. If there was public art around they might be encouraged to stay.”

In America, where Mr Atkinson teaches, they have a Per Cent scheme where a proportion of money received for refurbishing buildings, or building new ones, is given a cut of about one per cent for public art work.

“The same happens in Holland,” said Mr Atkinson, who is staying at Boustead Hill, near Burgh by Sands. “It strikes me that there is a resistance to change here – whereas in America change is welcome.

“I think there is a lack of vision. I know about Carlisle Renaissance and I used to sit on the board of North West Arts but when I come back and hear about galleries closing and the end of the FRED art festival then I think Cumbria doesn’t seem to have a proper culture.”

Taken from The News & Star / [Link] / [Back to top]