Strategic Environment Access & Safety Group - SEAS

Wolverhampton City Centre Company has set up a Strategic Environment, Access and Safety (SEAS) Group which brings together Wolverhampton City Council, West Midlands Police and local businesses.

Working at a strategic level the group will work with partners and businesses to make the City Centre a safe, clean and accessible place that attracts visitors, shoppers and businesses and contributes to a viable City Centre in which local residents and visitors can take pride.

Our objectives are to:

• Raise issues from City Centre businesses around environmental improvements to the City's streets, frontages, squares and public spaces.
• Receive information on hotspot areas from the CityEye group, StreetScene and other partners and work together to find solutions to long standing problems.
• Develop a strategy to deal with problem or unattractive vacant properties to improve perceptions and ultimately attract new businesses.
• Receive information on signage, entries and gateways into the City Centre and identify ways of improving perceptions and public understanding.
• Encourage the use of open squares, spaces and streets to enhance the visitor experience and not be detrimental to businesses or the built environment.
• Identify and participate in national schemes or awards that recognise achievements in the public realm leading to improved perceptions and pride.
• Consider the impact of major new developments in the city centre on businesses and the local community and help ensure their views are taken into account when developing plans and policies.
• Ensure that the relevant organisations keep city centre residents and the local business community informed about new developments using WVone where appropriate as means of communication and consultation.
• Identify issues that prohibit investment and work with the Economic Partnership and the local authority to encourage new investment into the city centre.
• To ensure that businesses are consulted on the impact on the city centre of changes brought about by building and regeneration works on public transport provision and routes, highways and car parking.
• Review and input into plans and policies concerning the City Centre developed by the local authority.
  
• Work with the police service and other partners to ensure the safety of people in the City Centre and look at ways of reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.
• To support and participate in local and national initiatives that will improve the access or safety of the City Centre.
• To liaise with the media to promote the City Centre as a safe and environment, highlighting positive initiatives and working to eliminate the fear of crime.
• To work with businesses, the City Council, Safer Wolverhampton Partnership and the police service on strategies and initiatives that improve safety and reduces crime and anti social behaviour
• To represent City Centre businesses on appropriate crime reduction and community safety task groups.
• To work with Centro, National Express and British Transport Police to ensure safety on public transport and at the bus and rail stations
  
• To promote and improve participation in the Radio Link membership scheme that assists crime prevention and reduction, offender prosecution and recovery of stolen property.
• To promote and improve participation in the Knight Safe24 City Licensing group to improve the night time economy and safety within the City Centre.
• To work with Centro and transport providers to ensure public transport access meets the needs of visitors and commuters.

SEAS Group Terms of Reference