| Description | These are the administrative papers of a joint initiative between Peterborough City Council and Greater Peterborough Partnership, established in 1996. In March 2000 it became Peterborough City Centre Forum Ltd. In 2003 Peterborough City Centre was selected to pilot the Business Improvement District (BID) initiative.In September 2004, the potential of an Urban Regeneration Company (URC) was considered. However it ceased trading in March 2006, and began the formal dissolution processes.
This history is reflected in the organisation of the collection.
Sub-collection 1, preincorporation (1996 - 2000) comprises 10 series covering organisation and management, AGMs, ECM, Town/City Development support, transition to incorporation, operations, 3 projects (Marketing, Diversity and Infrastructure and Transport) and financial management.
Sub-collection 2, from incorporation to closure (2000 - 2006) comprises 17 series covering organisation and management, the Board of Directors, AGMs and EGM, operations (staffing), 11 projects (South Bank, Crime Reduction, Parking, Pedestrianisation, Signage, Persefones Twinning, Townscape, North Westgate Development, Tourism and Marketing, Tourist Events, and Responses to Planning Applications) financial management and reports on town centre management.
Sub-collection 3, the dissolution processes (2001 -2005)comprises 3 series: papers from the Urban Regeneration Company, the Business Improvement District, and final events.
Sub-collection 4, maps (c1996-2000) comprises 8 large maps, including a detailed retail area reference and ward and parish boundaries. |
| Admin/Biograhical History | The City Centre Forum was established in 1996 as a joint initiative between Peterborough Council and Greater Peterborough Partnership; the latter was an umbrella organisation coordinating economic and marketing inititiaves relating to the city. The objective was to maximise the attractiveness,competitive strength and vitality of the city centre. An Executive Committee was formed from elected representatives. A study commissioned through the Association of Town Centre Management in 1997 recommended the appointment of a City Centre Manger. The appointment was made in 1999; the Council's Environmental Services directorate became lead directorate, with the Director appointed as a member of the Forum Executive. Funding was secured through public and private sponsorship for core funding and projects, and Working Groups formed.
Since members of the Forum were personally liable, in March 2000 the unincorporated association was dissolved and the company changed to Peterborough City Centre Forum Ltd, a company limited by guarantee. A Board of Directors and Chairman were appointed, and the membership increased.
In 2003 Peterborough City Centre was selected by the Association of Town Centre Mangers as one of 3 locations piloting the Business Improvement District (BID) initiative. In September 2004, following Parliamentary delays ratifying the primary legislation, the Board put the BID process on hold to consider the larger potential of an Urban Regeneration Company (URC) for Peterborough.
Over the years the Forum increasingly struggled to maintain the interests of the business community. It incurred a high staff turnover,with consequent lack of continuity, and hence was unable to fulfil its function as watchdog, holding statutory service providers to account.
A review commissioned from Shared Intelligence in 2005, in the context of an URC, recommended that the Council appoint a City Centre Director to coordinate and control all city council services, that the Forum be disbanded and that the advisory and watchdog functions be assumed by a newly created subgroup of the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce. Thus at an EGM in February 2006 members agreed a resolution to dissolve the Forum, which ceased trading in March 2006, and began the formal dissolution processes.
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