Targeting shoplifting and anti-social conduct
Maidenhead: Town manager says SMART scheme will support retailers
A scheme offering a support network to retailers in tackling shoplifting and antisocial behaviour is to be reintroduced in Maidenhead, the town manager has revealed.
At Thursday night’s Maidenhead Town Forum meeting Robyn Bunyan provided an update on how the on-going issues of anti-social behaviour and shoplifting are being tackled, adding that the team has made ‘some good progress’.
She explained that the SMART network, which stands for ‘Shops in Maidenhead against retail theft’ was to be re-introduced to try and tackle the current issues.
The scheme existed in the town prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and was ‘run quite successfully for a few years’, Robyn explained.
She said: “We’re all very aware as was made very clear at the last meeting, we’ve got an issue in town.
“It’s in the country, but Maidenhead is suffering with shoplifting and anti-social
behaviour.”
Robyn added: “It’s with agreement of the shopping centre, myself, and the police that something like that needs to come back to open up communications between our retailers.
“But to also make sure that there is a support network to make sure that we can share tips, offer free training opportunities and various things.
“Also, it will strengthen our push on getting crimes reported because we know that there is an underreporting issue.”
Robyn added that with the re-introduction of the network, she is hoping to have quarterly meetings with the local business community, to be followed with an on-going online forum where they ‘can support each other’.
She added that there will also be an audit of the townlink radios to ensure that the devices are being used effectively, are understood, and fit into the ‘wider network of the support’ available to them.
“We’re all very happy to hear that SMART was coming back so we’re very happy to say that the ball is rolling on that now.”
Touching on the effects of the on-going cost-of-living crisis, Robyn added: “Obviously we have winter coming up and a very hard winter for many.
“So, we want to make sure that we’re supporting the retailers, but we’re also supporting our local community, [and] that they’re aware of things which are in place to support them as we further head into a cost-of-living crisis and a very cold winter potentially, that hopefully theft doesn’t need to happen if you understand the solutions which are there for you.”
During her update, Robyn also provided the latest figures on footfall and usage of car parks in the borough.
She stated that, year to date, compared to 2019, in October footfall figures in Maidenhead were down by 1.1 per cent, in comparison with the South East.
Robyn added: “We’re in a really good position in terms of Maidenhead and those footfall figures are turning into people using our town in a really positive way which is lovely.”
Divulging the car park usage percentages, Robyn revealed that both Grove
Road and West Street are at 90 per cent usage, Nicholsons Centre is at 60 per cent, Hines Meadow is at 40 per cent and Stafferton Way is at 20 per cent.
Robyn added that she is hoping to be able to provide the car parking usage figures on a monthly basis, and also bring in the figures for the new car park on the corner of Vicus Way and Stafferton
Way which is due to open at the end of the week.
Discussing retail in the town centre, Robyn revealed that as well a new Tesco Express coming to the High Street, Superdrug will be moving from inside the Nicholsons Centre to a unit on the High Street.