Transformational plans to improve a seaside town’s centre and attract more visitors are taking shape.
Clevedon Business Improvement District (BID) has worked hard since being established almost a year ago to improve the appearance of the town, and has now revealed some more of its plans.
DISCOVER CLEVEDON
The BID’s social media page, Discover Clevedon, went live last week with the website expected to also go live in due course.
The new logo, encompassing different aspects of the town, will be used throughout the campaign and the Facebook page and website will act as a method of sharing developments within the BID’s five-year business plan and to track the group’s efforts.
Website guru Tom Vaughan said the ‘key priority’ of the BID was to attract more visitors to the town.
He said: “Up until now, there has been lots of good individual initiatives but no combined approach to make people aware of Clevedon as an ideal destination for a great day out.
“Discover Clevedon will have an easy-to-use navigation, highlighting things to do, shopping, food and drink and special events.”
QUEEN’S SQUARE
Work has already begun to clear out Queen’s Square and make it a more attractive place for people to sit back and enjoy the town centre.
Overgrown foliage has been removed and a landscape design specialist has been appointed to look at ways to transform the area into a space Clevedon can be proud of.
The move to update the park area in the square came after a meeting where more than 20 people discussed the various merits the green area presented.
TRIANGLE CLUB
Last week the Times revealed 3SIXTY Real Estate had purchased the club for £225,000 and was planning to turn the ground floor into a café and the upstairs into four flats.
Planning permission has been submitted by the developers, who have worked closely with the BID to make the most of one of the largest building in the town centre.
CLOCK TOWER POCKET PARK
One area which the BID and developers have been working on is the large unused pavement area outside NatWest.
The pair hope to turn it into a ‘pocket park’ with attractive seating and greenery to encourage people to stop and spend more time in the town.
ALEXANDRA GARDENS
Clevedon BID is looking to invest a chunk of its money into improving parks in the town.
One of which is Alexandra Gardens which will hopefully see major improvements.
Sue Cooper, the BID’s street enhancement committee chairman, said: “In the next few weeks, visitors and residents will see a range of improvement works taking place in Alexandra Gardens including new hand-crafted noticeboards at each entrance, planting of cleared borders and the heightening of the tree canopy to let more light in.”
Sue said the collaborative work with various groups and councils hope to make it a ‘beautiful link’ between the two retail areas of Hill Road and Alexandra Road.
ART AND ENHANCEMENTS
The BID has been working with local artist Damien Jeffery to transform some parts of the town centre with wonderful bits of artwork.
Damien’s masterpiece (pictured) by Queen’s Square pays homage to the dismantled railway from Clevedon to Yatton.
The line opened in June 1847 and became part of the Great Western Railway route in 1876.
It closed in 1963 to goods and to passengers in 1966.
Sue said: “The fantastic train, which has appeared in Station Road, is the first of three pieces of art due to be completed at different locations around Clevedon.”
Damien said: “The great thing about public art is it gets people talking and at the same time informs them of their own history and heritage.”
BID chairman Julie Bisacre said: “Each member is working to improve Clevedon; whether it’s in terms of promotions and publicity of the town, or creating better spaces for people to shop and travel around from one part of the town to another.
“We have made a good start and have begun to deal with the many challenges set before us. We are all determined and confident the BID projects can make a real difference to the future of Clevedon.”
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