CURE background

Feb'99: Several months back, the Residents' Association called a meeting from which a Task Force was setup to tackle the decline of Central Upminster, particularly the retail area.

This task force, given the above title, (CURE for short :  CURE - Central Upminster REgeneration Partnership), comprises local volunteers with experience in residents' concerns, regeneration partnerships, retailing, town centre management, town architecture an planning, policing and finance.

Four action teams chaired by those named, have been set up, reporting to the main body, to cover:

• Central Upminster Retail and Road - Graeme Stevenson
• Traffic Management & Upminster Partnership Against Crime (UPAC) - Claire Poulten
• Parks, Playing Fields and Gardens - Linda Hawthorn

The Urban Design Officer of the Council's Economic Regeneration Unit, Peter Davis, has already started work on a design for Upminster Town Centre.

So what is all this activity aiming to achieve ? Perhaps our Mission Statement, to use modern parlance, gives the answer:

"To seek to improve, constantly and sustainably, Central Upminster in the eyes of its Users"

As may be imagined, numerous ideas have flowed in but more are welcome. Broadly the issues, in no particular order are:

• The look of the Town; its fabric, street furniture, planting etc.
• Encouraging the use of our shops and filling the empty premises. Quite simply, if we do not use our shops, we will loose them - so please shop in Upminster whenever you can.
• Integrated traffic management between car, bus, train, taxi and pedestrian, to relieve congestion and facilitate movement and parking.
• Crime and Disorder - retaining Upminster Police Station and installing Closed Circuit Television.
• The development of a 10-20 year strategic plan for Upminster.

If you think you can help actively, or have ideas for us to pursue, please contact Wendy Burns Fax: Fax 01708 706779 or myself Greg Pavitt.