Comment
Rayleigh Town Centre Area Action Plan - Issues and Options
Representation ID: 23960
Received: 30/06/2010
Respondent: The National Trust Rayleigh Mount Local Committee
I feel there should be an additional objective of encouraging more visitors/ tourists into the town centre (and on into the district as a whole).
In my view, the Windmill is the key to this, as I think it should become much more of a visitor centre, promoting the town and, indeed, the entire district. For instance the interpretive boards on the ground floor could be replaced with ones featuring various local visitor attractions. One board could be about Cherry Orchard County park with photos, location maplet, and text, for instance. Others could highlight Hockley Woods, the Dutch Cottage, Wallasea Island Wetland area. One board could feature attractive churches in the district, another some of the smaller open spaces (Magnolia park, Rochford Reservoir, Sweyne Park, Kingley Woods etc).
The TV screen on the ground floor could also show a DVD promoting the district.
The council should give consideration to basing a member of staff at the Windmill, at least on a part-time basis, to allow the ground floor to be open more often to the public ( thus
enhancing the work done by dedicated team of volunteers). It seems such a shame that this iconic building is not, at present, being used to its full potential. It needs to much more boldly signposted from the High Street as well.
I feel there should be an additional objective of encouraging more visitors/ tourists into the town centre (and on into the district as a whole).
In my view, the Windmill is the key to this, as I think it should become much more of a visitor centre, promoting the town and, indeed, the entire district. For instance the interpretive boards on the ground floor could be replaced with ones featuring various local visitor attractions. One board could be about Cherry Orchard County park with photos, location maplet, and text, for instance. Others could highlight Hockley Woods, the Dutch Cottage, Wallasea Island Wetland area. One board could feature attractive churches in the district, another some of the smaller open spaces (Magnolia park, Rochford Reservoir, Sweyne Park, Kingley Woods etc).
The TV screen on the ground floor could also show a DVD promoting the district.
The council should give consideration to basing a member of staff at the Windmill, at least on a part-time basis, to allow the ground floor to be open more often to the public ( thus
enhancing the work done by dedicated team of volunteers). It seems such a shame that this iconic building is not, at present, being used to its full potential. It needs to much more boldly signposted from the High Street as well.