Welcome to Haverfordwest Town Centre Do we need to join a club?

EMPTY PROPERTY OWNERS CLUB Haverfordwest (E. P. O. C. H EMPTY PROPERTY OWNERS CLUB Haverfordwest (E.P.O.C.H.) EPOCH ‘a long period of time especially one in which there are new developments and great change’ 1. How the idea came about & the research 2. What happened when I piloted EPOCH 3. Conclusions and next steps

1. How the idea came about Walking to work through town for several years… was depressing I Started having ideas about what COULD happen in the different buildings and wondered why nothing seemed to be changing

Global and national changes over decades… have left many small towns languishing… BLIGHTED BUILDINGS hold a townscape to Ransom… how do we change the rules??

Does it have to be just another SOB story? S SAD O OLD B BUILDINGS

Could we start with engaging with the empty shop owners? IF THE CHALLENGE IS TO CHANGE PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF TOWN CENTRES FROM … S SAD O OLD B BUILDINGS TO A NEW PLACE TO VISIT … Could we start with engaging with the empty shop owners?

AND CREATE A NEW SOB STORY S Sense O Of B Belonging? WITH Revived buildings Occupied by wide range of commercial and community services & traders Open more hours to all age groups A social meeting point

AND HOW? do we move our towns forward? Carrot or stick? Reclaiming the stalled spaces is a precursor to creating a new mix of town centre activities and initiatives (including non-commercial community ownerships, and not- for profit companies.)

CARROT EMPTY PROPERTY OWNERS CLUB Haverfordwest CARROT EMPTY PROPERTY OWNERS CLUB Haverfordwest inviting owners to care? or STICK An official register of all town centre properties ?

2. What happened when I piloted the idea of a club and a sense of responsibility? E.P.O.C. was described to agents and owners as “A membership club that links owners of empty buildings, with ways to make their buildings part of a recovering town centre..... bring buildings back into public use, increase footfall, and raise the value of empty properties for their owners”.

NOTHING ! Agents often cannot give out contact details (data protection) so communications are difficult and slow. A few local owners had been local traders with wonderful stories to tell and a real sense of pride and are actively looking for occupiers And some developers of key buildings have been deeply involved with our regeneration team at PCC for some years, but can’t find the right user. Others have given up. Owners often live away/ or are commercial companies/ or have died Stakeholders often feel unheard and ignored, and their ideas unwanted.

NOTHING ! Trying to reuse a building is often too time consuming and frustrating. Would-be users and owners have insurance, H&S, and rates issues making agreements really hard to draw up affordably. There is NO ONE PLACE to find out who owns every town centre building and how to contact them There is no easy answer.... I discovered one sad but useful fact

It will take a stick… EPOC (Empty Property Owners Club) Voluntary ? Official Property Register compulsory Most parties are too busy doing their own jobs and no-one seems to see town revival as partly or even largely THEIR responsibility. Therefore this will NOT HAPPEN VOLUNTARILY.

3. Conclusions & Recommendations GETTING PRACTICAL - 4 solid steps 1. Central Register of all town centre properties – held by the property department of the LA initially: later accessed by an autonomous town centre HUB – all buildings in that zone must be registered with direct contact details, easy access arrangements, and info on services, alarms etc. 2. town centre contract/agreements/and easements to ensure owners engage and respond if approached by potential users or the LA. This would include insurance, repairs and H&S issues being made easy, as currently these are major obstacles to owners when approached by would-be new users.

TOWN CONTRACTS/ AGREEMENTS 3. HUB - an administrative centre owners Other town REGENERATION INITIATIVES, events & services WOULD-BE SHOP Users TOWN CONTRACTS/ AGREEMENTS

4. Regeneration model with substance, and teeth 4. Regeneration model with substance, and teeth! that proactively supports new ways of using buildings, public spaces, and improves access and green routes to bring people into towns as DESTINATIONS. Makes choices that support local diversity and variety that is RELEVANT to our hinterland.

Thank you