That's one of the questions Pickering
Town Council's business engagement
group plans to ask as part of the Pride in
Pickering campaign supported by the
Mercury.
The group – Cllr William Oxley, Cllr
Joan Lovejoy and Cllr Joan Taylor – is
one of three working on specific themes
and tackling issues in the town. The others
are open spaces and litter/cleanliness.
The business engagement group is
now talking to local businesses to seek
their support for the Pride in Pickering
drive and to encourage them to join the
group and get actively involved.
Cllr Oxley said: "We want to engage
with local businesses and get them talking
about what they'd like to see happening
in Pickering.
"We can tie in with the whole issue of
what's going to happen with the closure
of the Market Place.
"Personally I'd like to see the Market
Place and The Ropery as a shared space
which everyone can use, as they do in
France, Belgium, Holland and
Scandinavia, with street art, street performers
and such like.
"Maybe Pickering is not ready for it,
but I think there's an opportunity here to
stimulate the debate.
"Pride in Pickering is about bringing
people together to discuss what is the
best way to use the space and look at all
options."
Cllr Oxley said the group is also keen
to get businesses together to see how
they can help to promote and improve
the the town for residents and visitors
alike.
He said: "As a group we're asking how
we can improve the public realm. It can
be simple stuff, like businesses sweeping
the front of their shops and picking up
litter, that all helps to make the town a
better place to visit."
Leaflets are being delivered to businesses
across the town, including those
on the industrial estates encouraging
them to back the Pride in Pickering campaign,
come up with ideas and get
involved in the business engaement
group.