This week there has been a lot of talk about emerging from lockdown and helping the economy to recover – but what will that be ? and how will it work locally ? And are any of our councils – county, district, parish or town – thinking about it ?
Some may be addressing the return of services – such as waste sites – but, if more people are going to be on the streets, is Rother (for example) now going to re-open public conveniences ? And they may, as reports mid-week suggested that Rother were re-opening at least one Camber car park – and more re-openings may follow ?
But, closer to home, how is this worldwide pandemic going to impact on the “global world” as we know it? Will there be the same number of tourists crossing frontiers to come here?
And, on the other side of the coin, will so many Brits be travelling overseas for their holidays ?
Holidays at home could be in for a big boost as travel overseas (but also into Britain) is subject to checks and quarantine, and may even be viewed as potentially dangerous, but are we preparing for that ? Well “1066 Country” is thinking about it.
Food supplies from abroad may even be viewed with suspicion, or simply be more difficult to obtain, so “think local” may become the buzzword, and long term it may become a policy of being more self supporting locally – and within the United Kingdom.
But this means the town council needs to emerge from silent quarantine and look to our future – and every aspect of our area’s future – including business in general, as well as tourism and visitors.
For example, one lesson learnt in recent weeks is that public services are crucial in a crisis and it now seems sad that Rye Town Council decided to close down its public services committee in recent years.
And, just as the Heritage Centre changes hands, and the town hall becomes an information centre for tourists, and local tourism could show increasing UK-driven growth, perhaps the town council could actually kick-start more life into local tourism, and support more active and co-operative marketing in what appears to be fragmented activity at present.
The one lesson to be learnt from the current crisis is that working together works better than working separately and perhaps the town council in Rye – and other councils locally, like Camber and Icklesham – should be leading us towards this goal.
Image Credits: J. Minter .
Yes I agree Charles. “Working Together” could be the new slogan for Rother District Council, East Sussex County Council and Rye Town Council. I think you’re onto something here.
Dream on. The chances of these three authorities of working together is as about likely as Donald Duck doing a striptease in Woolworths shop window on Christmas day.
Apologies for the acerbic comment but I am a pessimist–thats an optimist with experience.