Tarporley Parish Council believes that it will be to the benefit of businesses, residents and visitors to Tarporley if the Business Association can be revived, chaired by an independant person. A recent survey of businesses showed that a majority agreed with this view. It therefore invited applicants, and has now asked David Carter, a Tarporley resident for 20 years to set up and chair a steering group through the establishment of the Association, and has provided some start up funding. David is experienced in business having been a company director for several years, and latterly working for Business Link Northwest - the Government funded body whose role is to help businesses in the NW to grow. (See: www.businesslink.gov.uk/northwest ). David has been a member of The Rotary Club of Tarporley for 15 years and has served as President.
The Business Association will be open to all types of business - not just High St retailers. The exact scope will be decided by the steering group at its first meeting.
There has been Press releases in Tarporley Talk and The Chester Chronicle at the beginning of August and October.
A letter was sent to about 250 businesses within 2-3 miles of the centre of Tarporley in August, inviting owners/managers to an initial meeting on Thursday 25th September in the Hunt Room of The Swan Hotel. An encouraging number attended and volunteers for a steering group were recruited. The first steering group meeting is on Wednesday 15th October when it is hoped we will agree a constitution and other administrative stuff.
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David does not operate a business in Tarporley and hopes that this will enable him to offer an independant and objective leadership throughout the set up phase. When the Association is up and running a committee will be elected in the normal way and David will decide whether to offer himself for election at that stage. Initially David has proposed a set of working objectives for the Association as below: |
OBJECTIVES
- Raise and promote the image of Tarporley for the benefit of businesses and residents.
- Increase the appeal of Tarporley to visitors, and hence their numbers.
- Increase the spend per visitor.
- Make Tarporley a more attractive and enjoyable place to work.
- Improve business understanding of residents needs and expectations.
- Improve residents and visitors knowledge of the products and services available locally.
- Increase the proportion of local residents spend in Tarporley.
- Provide a voice and face for businesses to the councils, pubic services, the press and public.
- Act as a central source and store of information of use to businesses and carry out investigations and research.