The NEF workshop, Reimagining Crosby Village

Ideas for Crosby

notes of proposals suggested at Re-Imagining Crosby Village workshop event in April 2011

The NEF workshop, Reimagining Crosby Village

The ABetterCrosby event, Reimagining Crosby Village, was attended by around 50 people of all ages from 16 to 80, including representatives from the public, voluntary and education sectors, local traders and members of the community.

We asked NEF to lead the event, find out about them here.

The interactive part of the evening involved attendees considering what stops money from leaking away from a community and also what maximises well-being in a local high street. So the twin aspects of prosperity and quality of life were considered.

Proposals for positive action were generated. These ideas were recorded on flipchart paper and maps of the area. People then applied stickers to these proposals as a way of voting.

Grouping the projects together by theme allows some of the key issues raised to be identified. They are listed here in no particular order.

Marketing

• Promote tourism / leisure uses.  To enable this a clear vision for Crosby, a sense of what makes it special, is required.
• Provide online consumer info and use social media.
• Seasonal festivals – add summer children’s festival to current music festival (spring), proposed Goose Feast (autumn) and Christmas events to make seasonal calendar
• Local arts competitions / exhibitions – use disused spaces, shop window competitions, school involvement

Accessibility

• Allow more people easier access to the village, increase number of people in village.
• Sensible parking policies.
• Better access for pedestrians into village from surrounding areas,  i.e. crossing roads, and sense of (visual) connection/safety.
• Create positive welcome into the village.
• Cycle routes – beach / schools / homes linking up right in the Village centre
• Create a ‘Hub’ (financing, information, activities, promotions, volunteering, action, community interaction, friendships)

Develop Trading Initiatives

• Promoting local produce
• Loyalty scheme for local businesses / Traders to cooperate together
• Local traders and community action support & pressure authority to keep the area and shopfronts clean and tidy.
• Community buy-outs of underutilised property
• Project Griffin (community involvement in protecting against crime)

Improved public space and facilities

• Create facilities and buildings which will increase the use of the village by bringing more people to the area.
• Children’s Play area
• Bandstand
• Pocket Park
• Public toilets

There were many other ideas proposed that we will keep for the future, but the list above is plenty to think about for now. All of the ideas generated by the event will be considered within the preparation of the ‘Vision for Crosby’.