Rutland County Council Cllr Edward Baines, has led the task group. So it comes
as no surprise that it appears the town council has been embarrassed by
the Partnership.
I thought it was only Oakham organisations that did not understand the meaning of partnership.
The Mayor of Uppingham has issued the following statement.
Message from the Mayor of Uppingham
Of late, a good few of you won't have been immune to the rumours buzzing around Uppingham regarding the future of our Market Place and the chartered market which it hosts on Fridays.
As Chairman of Uppingham Town Council I welcome the opportunity to reassure everyone that there are no, repeat no plans to alter Uppingham Market Place or inhibit the weekly market which is such a popular feature of our lives.
How have the rumours come about? As a follow-up to the Uppingham Neighbourhood Plan, a task group was set up by Uppingham First which turned its attention to the future of our Town Centre and Business Zones.
The outcome has been a draft plan which is just now reaching the public, and which I hope will be the subject of an open town meeting sooner rather than later.
The draft plan has had its main technical input from Uppingham First, and has yet to present the plan or have it debated by the Town Council.
One of the incarnations of Uppingham First is as a think-tank; hence the draft plan features some far-seeing ideas of a blue-sky nature. To give just one example, it aims to tackle the growing parking challenges which can only be expected to intensify if we sit on our hands.
Unfortunately the strategic influences of the plan are in danger of being swamped by the more eye-catching raft of ideas surrounding our Market Place. "Ideas" of course do not necessarily translate into actions.
So, if as I hope, we can bring our fellow Uppingham residents into the picture, do please make your views known. But wait until the draft plan in its entirety is in the public domain.
Whilst I am writing, may I make it clear that the publicity afforded to the Royal Oak licensed premises represents consultation, not a referendum. Your Town Council values your responses and can be trusted to proceed responsibly to recommend registration of the Queens Street property as an asset of special interest, or not. The timescale for this will be November 2016.
For those wishing to read the plan click here. This website is owned and administered by Uppingham First and not Uppingham Town Council.
Alec Crombie
Uppingham Town Mayor
