COUNCILLORS want to encourage more local business owners and traders to get involved to try and improve the fortunes of Wellington town centre.

Wellington Town Council’s town centre committee was initially set-up to look at improving the area’s economic viability and get empty shop premises filled with new businesses.

But the committee’s role has changed over time and now looks at various things do with the town centre including events and street fairs.

The committee is mainly made up of town councillors, but has allowed up to four traders to sit on the group to help with the “inside knowledge” of the business community.

But councillors are now to consider increasing that number to six traders at future meetings with more responsibilities expected to be passed down to the town council following on from the introduction of the Somerset Council unitary authority.

Cllr Janet Lloyd, speaking at the town centre committee on March 21, said: “Going forward with the introduction of the unitary authority, we as a town council will have more things to do and will want the voice of businesses involved as we don’t have a Chamber of Trade or business association.”

But Cllr John Thorne, who is not a member of the town centre committee, suggested it should become an economic development committee, with a sub-committee of non-elected members.

He said: “I think the town centre committee needs to be re-purposed. It was initially set up to look at empty shops, but it’s moved on from that now.

“The town centre committee has done a good job, but it now needs to move on and done a different way.

“Perhaps it could become the economic development committee and looks at businesses in the town, but have a sub-committee which included non-elected members and fill the gap left by a lack of Chamber of Trade.

“As it stands – you could end up with non-elected members out-voting elected councillors and that isn’t right.”

Cllr Lloyd said that she did not agree with everything that Cllr Thorne had suggested, but believed that perhaps they needed to look at the town centre committee in the “wider scheme of things.” 

Cllr Marcus Barr said: “I agree with both Cllrs Thorne and Lloyd. There is a hole at the moment and we don’t have enough representation from businesses.”

He said that it was the councillors’ “necks on the chopping block” when spending council taxpayers money, rather than the non-elected members.

But he added: “We need to tackle the elephant in the room and change the name of the group and move forward.”

Town clerk Dave Farrow said: “We can change the terms of reference for a committee at any time during the year if the council feels it is appropriate.”

Trader Sharon Davis, who is a member of the town centre committee, said: “I think the group needs more business owners rather than just councillors.”

The committee agreed that the matter about increasing the number of traders should be discussed by the full council and to discuss further the town centre committee’s future role.