The Annual General Meeting 30th March at 7.30pm in The Little Theatre, King St
The Annual accounts and report can be found here
New Directors: We invite applications to join the Board of Directors, particularly from those with Business and/or Tourism experience. Email: enquiries@nicenairn.org.uk
Due to unforeseen circumstances, we’ve had to re-schedule the Drop-in Session and evening presentation. This will now take place on the 3rd March, 2-5pm in Community Centre and 7.30pm in the evening. The AGM will take place on the 30th March. Notifications will be sent to all members soon.
Reports of the demise of NICE have been greatly exaggerated, but understandable given that NICE has been unable to put much into the public domain. The key difficulty was that identifying the mechanisms for delivery and the fundamental need for collaborative working were not easy to achieve in the prevailing climate. Despite that, we have been exceptionally busy behind the scenes for the last 18 months, and can now report on two significant projects – seeking “BID” status for Nairnshire, and driving the Town Centre Plan forward.
NEW PLANNING CONSULTATION
We are delighted that a new Planning Consultation from Scottish Government recognises that “People rightly expect to have a stronger say in the decisions that affect them and their communities”. Suggested changes to legislation will “Allow communities to prepare local place plans that set out where development requirements, as defined by the broader local development plan, can be met.” These ideas have always been central within the aims and objectives of NICE, whose principle purpose under its Constitution is to drive the regeneration of Nairn.
TOWN CENTRE PLAN
The Nairn Town Centre Charrette was facilitated by the Highland Council. With input from NICE’s community survey and the input of other business and voluntary groups, an agreed Town Centre Plan was developed and published in September 2015, but there was no strategy for delivering any of the agreed outcomes and for reasons not fully understood, it has received little public attention. Anecdotally there is little public awareness of its existence. For that reason NICE engaged the services of a highly respected consultant, funded by the Development Trust Association of Scotland, to look at the Charrette outcomes and identify options for taking them forward. Our consultant Marion Francis is now in a position to present the results of her work and consultation.
DROP-IN EVENT
We are pleased to invite our members and the wider community to an Open Afternoon drop-in session on the 3rd March (2.00-5.00pm) at the Nairn Community & Arts Centre so that we can refresh awareness of the Town Centre plans that were proposed by the Charrette process. We have invited the Highland Council planning team who prepared the Charrette report to be present and to chat informally to visitors and take feedback. A more formal evening session (7.30pm) will be given over to Marion Francis’ presentation of the options for the next steps with a timeline and strategy for taking forward the Town Centre Plan – the core mission of NICE. As the commentary in the Town Centre Plan itself states, it is up to the community to work with the statutory authorities to drive the project forward.
CHANGE IN THE AIR
One reason for the difficulty we faced was the fact that the strands connecting various community groups and initiatives were complex, and there are many community groups in Nairnshire. But we sensed that the climate had changed 18 months ago when the director of Scottish Government’s Business Improvement District (“BID”) department approached NICE with the proposition that Nairnshire should seek BID status. Alongside this, Highlands & Islands Enterprise (“HIE”) had also stated that “Nairn must speak with one voice”. We thought long and hard about ways to tackle the problems, and drew comfort from the fact that HIE are supportive of a BID for Nairnshire. The energy and commitment recently put into proposals for a new Lido/Thermal Spa, has resulted in HIE funding a feasibility study to determine if it might be a key driver for the local economy. There is good evidence that a well-researched idea with suitable financial support will succeed and give the wider community confidence in itself. Indeed, the recently opened Sun Dancer Restaurant is very popular, and the coffee & wine bar on the Brae has a distinctive offering.
BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
NICE invited Michael Boylan, Chair of the Association of Nairn Businesses, and Michael Green, Elected Highland Councillor, to join a Steering Group which has now secured funding of up to £50,000 to take the proposal to ballot using professional paid staff to do the work. A separate Press Release has just been issued about the BID, identifying the vital roles of The Highland Council and HIE in supporting the Government BID policy.
We believe the opportunity to acquire BID status for Nairnshire is a real game-changer for our community. The fact that funding for the preparatory work has been secured confirms the outside perception at Government level that Nairnshire is a “sleeping giant” – a seaside tourist destination with great unrealised potential and worth investment. NICE’s role on the BID Steering Group is to act as enabler, and by virtue of its charitable and corporate status to be the funding conduit for the work. We believe that the BID project will underpin further work on the Town Centre Plan, and give potential funders the confidence that Nairn does on this occasion mean business.
The full Nairn Town Centre Plan report can be accessed from the Highland Council’s website and also here – Download the full document here.
Alastair Noble – Chair NICE
Mike Barnett – Secretary NICE
“BID” stands for Business Improvement District. It is a model operated worldwide, and the Scottish Government has been a particularly strong supporter with a department dedicated to the promotion and support of BIDs. The ultimate aim of a BID is to generate increased economic activity, which in a tourism area means increased visitor footfall and, with it, increased spending.
Alastair Noble and Michael Barnett of NICE, Michael Boylan (Chair of the Association of Nairn Businesses (“ANB”) and Michael Green (Elected Highland Councillor) have been collaborating since November 2015 to investigate whether a “BID for Nairnshire” should be established. “BID” stands for Business Improvement District. The work has been fully supported by The Highland Council, and has reached the conclusion that a BID for Nairnshire is highly desirable, if not essential. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (“HIE”) have also given their full support. (See the full BID Press Release here)
An initial “Seedcorn” grant was secured from Scottish Government in May to fund the first phase of the project, and we have recently received “matching” funding commitments from The Highland Council and HIE.
A BID is a business-led initiative where businesses work together and invest collectively in local improvements to their business environment. It should be a partnership between public and private sectors. A BID is not a substitute for central or local government services, but it is a way in which additional funding can be raised, and has the attraction that the businesses decide how to use that funding.
Stripped to its essentials a BID is a five year agreed business plan that operates to a budget, and the payers of a rating levy determine how to spend the levy and any other funding that can be secured. From the research undertaken the typical annual budget for a town of Nairn’s size would be about £150,000, and the typical small business would pay an annual levy in the range £150 to £250. It is not difficult to work out how even quite a modest increase in local visitor footfall will amply repay the annual expense of £250 – perhaps 6 extra visitor nights for a small hotel, and for the area’s service providers (eg butchers and plumbers) a commensurate increase in sales to the hotel owners. Big businesses (eg supermarkets) would pay an annual levy of the order of £5,000.
WHAT ABOUT THE TOWN CENTRE?
Although it has not received much publicity in the last year, there is a plan for the Town Centre, being the output of two public Charrettes hosted by The Highland Council. The “Nairn Town Centre Plan” report was published in October 2015, and records that NICE, the ANB and The Highland Council have committed to working together to deliver it. Through its membership of DTAS (the Development Trusts Association of Scotland), NICE secured a grant from Scottish Government to hire an adviser to take the project forward. The Highland Council and NICE organised events in April to share what was planned with local representative bodies, and NICE will be presenting the Charrette conclusions and the recommendations of its adviser for next steps to the community soon.
The point about the Town Centre Plan is that it is a vital element in the regeneration of Nairn. It is common ground that the town’s centre must act as a “magnet” for visitors, and as a link to the High Street and Nairn’s visitor attractions.
HOW WILL THE BID PROJECT BE MANAGED?
There are two phases. The first is the planning stage funded in part by the Scottish Government “Seedcorn” Grant. This typically takes 15 months and involves preparing a business plan, consulting the business and wider community, and effectively selling the BID concept to the local business community who of course will be paying for it via the levy. At the conclusion of this phase there is a ballot of the business community and certain statutory thresholds have to be exceeded in the vote. If the ballot fails then the BID is not established.
The second phase is after a successful ballot when the BID becomes a reality and the 5 year business plan has to be delivered. By then the potential directors of the BID company will have been identified and the BID company will be established and tasked with delivering its 5 year business plan.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE STEERING GROUP?
We have jointly taken the initiative to steer the project through the first phase. NICE as a company, a Community Body and a registered charity has been able to secure the necessary funding, and has the capacity to enter into contracts. NICE’s role is agreed to be that of facilitator and enabler; the ANB’s Chairman Michael Boylan is the link with business; and Michael Green as a Highland Councillor provides the vital link to the Highland Council and other Elected Councillors.
At a point in time close to the ballot the steering group’s task will have been completed, and it is envisaged that will be when the directors of the new BID company are ready to take the project forward. It is envisaged that beyond that NICE’s role will be supportive in that as a Community Body it represents the community, and as a charity can access funding for community projects that the BID company as a commercial enterprise cannot. In other words, joint working for the benefit of the whole community will happen.
Alastair Noble – Chairman of NICE
Michael Barnett – Secretary of NICE
Michael Boylan – Chairman of the ANB
Michael Green – Highland Councillor
We were all saddened to learn of the recent death of Graham Kerr. Graham was born and bred in Nairn. He cared passionately about his home town and on retirement devoted much of his time to making Nairn a better place for everyone – visitors and locals alike. He was determined to make the most of Nairn’s assets.
Graham became a director Nairn Improvement Community Enterprise (NICE) in November 2011 and brought considerable professional and human qualities to NICE’s activities. His engineering background meant that he had a very pragmatic approach to all developments. He kept others grounded – it might have sounded like a good idea but would it work in practice – he forensically questioned many aspects of the town centre development; traffic management; drainage systems; housing development.
Graham was known for his dogged persistence. He held people and agencies to account but always in a polite way. His concern was for his community, he was not concerned with personal status.
In his younger day Graham kept a recreational boat in the harbour. In 2015 when one of the local councillors asked NICE to undertake a study of the harbour and seafront area Graham leapt at the chance to lead the project. He had an overall vision of how to improve Nairn and saw the harbour as an important local,and tourist focus, about much more than just boats. One of his ambitions was to help establish a marine life educational centre.
Over many months Graham met a whole range of people with an interest in the harbour and seafront. Their concerns and aspirations were noted and now form the basis of a detailed report
A typical request from Graham might say “ if we can get a simple graphic to show the speed of the movement of the sand bar this must be a very good justification for positive action being taken to preserve the future of the harbour.” He was similarly concerned about coastal protection and flood risk and management.
Graham’s contribution to NICE will be sadly missed by all his fellow directors as will his selfless desire to help the community and his home town of Nairn.
Sheena Munro
You’ll find the report and Minute of the 2016 AGM on the Documents page.
This is a discussion paper that looks to the possible development of a Nairnshire BID. It can only proceed with the agreement and participation of local businesses. It may take 15 months to define the terms of the BID and engage in consultation.
Introduction
NAIRN & NAIRNSHIRE
Business Improvement District Proposals
Nairnshire is a compact area covering 200 square miles with a population of 14,500 people. Within the county there is a wealth of natural assets which must be nurtured and developed in a strategic way. There is a proud tradition of civic involvement. This paper looks at Nairnshire in the round emphasising the interconnectedness of its major assets and highlighting the key issues that need to be addressed. Continue reading
We think this could be our most important and significant AGM ever. A whole series of national and local policy decisions, such as the rebirth of a Nairnshire Committee, community planning, community empowerment, town centre regeneration and new Community Councils with increasing roles, in conjunction with our own experiences and hard work, allow us to propose an exciting and deliverable way forward for Nairnshire to benefit from all the opportunities that are available. NICE has already made a contribution in the following ways: Continue reading
NAIRN IMPROVEMENT COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the fourth ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the above company will be held at 8.00 pm on Tuesday 26 January 2016 at the Nairn Community & Arts Centre for the purpose of the following business:
Members are encouraged to appoint a proxy to vote on their behalf if they are unable to attend in person. The appointment of a proxy should be made using this form – AGM PROXY2016 and should be received by the Company Secretary by 8.00 pm on 24 January 2016 or delivered c/o the Community & Arts Centre.
A copy of the company’s accounts for the year ended 30 November 2014 is available here – NICE ACCOUNTS 2013 14
DATED this 9th day of January 2016.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD
Michael Barnett
Secretary
Company No: SC388110
Registered Office: Drumdelnies, by Nairn, IV12 5NT
mbarnett@macline.co.uk
A shared community vision for Nairn town centre was given the go-ahead this week by Highland Council Members of the Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee.
Members agreed that a new ‘Nairn Community Town Centre Plan’ be adopted as non-statutory planning guidance to influence future planning applications for Nairn town centre and help community organisations to make bids for funding projects.
The final approved plan has been developed in collaboration between community groups, Highland Council and partners including responses received to a public consultation on the ‘Draft Nairn Town Centre Action Plan’. Public workshops were held in Nairn during April and May 2014 with assistance from the Scottish Government’s town centre regeneration fund.
The main aim of the plan is to identify projects that could be delivered should funding opportunities arise and to shape future planning applications.
Chair of the NB&S Area Committee Councillor Liz MacDonald said: “Hopefully this excellent piece of work will enable us to get some quick wins and projects progressed as soon as possible.
“There has been a tremendous amount of teamwork – which has gone into developing this Plan – from officers, councillors and key groups such as NICE (Nairn Improvement Community Enterprise); Nairn Economic Initiative; the Association of Nairn Businesses and members of the community.
“This plan highlights the shared vision, shared priorities and a desire and the agreement for a collaborative team based approach.”
Download the full document here
NICE Comment: We are delighted to have been one of the partners in the discussions that resulted in this Action Plan. There is now an agreed vision and shared priorities for the Town Centre. We look forward to participating in this new collaborative partnership approach and by virtue of our social enterprise status, assist as enablers, where possible, in the delivery of some of the projects identified.