BID plan aims to transform Reading town centre
The Reading Evening Post has revealed that businesses are having their say on a proposed new five-year Business Improvement District (BID) phase to transform the town centre.
Suggestions have so far included live music in restaurants, coffeeshops closing later in the evening, sitting on ice in the middle of Broad St to win a prize, a charity Moonwalk in Broad St, a bigger Children’s Festival and a new lighting scheme.
Meanwhile, under the new proposal, our Christmas lights will continue to be funded, smokers will be encouraged to stub out their ciggies on foil ashtrays and booklets will be distributed for gum.
The central theme of the plan seems to be “community”, or creating conditions that would attract more people into the town centre, day and night, through encouraging them to participate in various activities.
“Community” does appear to be a bit of a buzzword at present and I can see how something akin to an online social network, I guess, on our streets might work.
Boosting the evening economy might be a challenge. The evening economy to me suggests one thing mainly - drinking. There are many people who find the town centre at night, Oracle aside, an intimidating environment, thanks in part to nits who drink too much and make a nuisance of themselves. This is especially true of Friar St, covered in the plan, which even I find unpleasant at night these days.
I can see the appeal of keeping coffeeshops open for longer. As a Madrid student a number of years ago, having a late-night coffee was always an attractive option (even at 2am). It’s something I would love to see introduced here (for then we really will have something that more closely resembles a cafe culture), and I’m sure that freelance workers and bingers alike would be similarly interested.
I’m not sure about the sitting on ice suggestion. Several readers commenting on the article have not warmed to the idea either.
How about something like a night market (similar to what you might find in the Far East)? Or open air concerts (I’m thinking classical or jazz, mainly)? Story-telling might work, as kids and grown-ups alike love Harry Potter etc. (I don’t count myself, as I’ve not read any of the books).
Whatever goes ahead ultimately, it will have to be good. The economic downturn will be challenging enough.