PROJECT BRIEF
Town Centre Audits
SCC Term 2 2024
Executive Summary
Cumberland City Council is eager to better understand the business decisions and trends that dictate the initiation, establishment and growth of sustainable town centres and high streets within the Cumberland LGA. The results of this study will be used to inform. the Council’s economic development team of the practices and patterns within these diverse Cumberland City Council business communities to guide strategic planning.
The objectives of the study are:
• By undertaking interviews with local businesses, identify the trends, triggers and opportunities that dictate the establishment of a sustainable town centre within the Cumberland LGA and answer the following:
• What makes the town centre work? Provide evidence to support your answers to questions such as: How do people move around? Is it a transport hub? Why do people use the town centre? Who are the people that use the town centre? Do they stay and enjoy the environment? Are there places for people to enjoy the environment?
• What factors would improve the town centre to ensure economic prosperity in the longterm? Why are these factors important and what would be the benefit to the town centre?
• Provide your team’s understanding of evidence that supports opportunities for Cumberland Council’s business development team to assist in the growth of these centres
The Project
This project is in three parts:
1. Literature-based appraisal, within the context of this Brief, of the current and future
opportunity and development needs for businesses in the Cumberland City LGA and Greater Western Sydney (GWS)
You are required to conduct a review of relevant literature to provide a considered and reliable account of SME business environment and town centre needs in GWS, both now and into the future. This should be conducted with particular relevance to Cumberland City Council. Ideally, your review should contemplate current and future opportunities; practices; product trends; trading trends; cultural and generational impact; and the impact of new or disruptive players.
2. Localised research
To conduct your research, each project team of students will successfully complete 10 interviews with businesses located within a specified research area in the Cumberland City local government area. These areas will be identified through maps or lists provided by the Council client. Students must conduct their research only within the allocated boundary. The research is to:
a. To provide a synopsis of the practices, nature and characteristics of the SME businesses who occupy your allocated area within the Cumberland LGA.
b. Your interviews with the businesses should enable you to provide clear and complete responses to each of your developed questions (see page 3) and this data will be used as your data to answer the objectives of the research. To undertake these interviews, students will be required to engage with business representatives in an appropriate conversational-style. interview process.
3. Initiatives to support local business
The analysis of the data collected through the initial literature review and the interview responses are to result in the development of a considered and comprehensive response to the objectives listed in the client brief (see above).
The final report requires the teams to make recommendations (2 or 3) as to what initiatives and investment could be made by Cumberland City Council either through it’s own funded initiatives of using the support of the state and federal governments, the private sector or peak industry bodies to address this issue at the local level.
4. Deliverables
This research will deliver to the client the following
1. A 6 minute presentation that provides findings and recommendations that address the Objectives
2. A 4000 word report that provides further data, an expanded explanation of the analysis and recommendations and a matrix of the research data in the appendix
3. A map providing a audit of the businesses occupying the premises in the area
Questions
1 Name and address of the business
2 Role/position of the person being interviewed:
Interviewer Note: consider why this person will be able to provide you with the correct information
3 What is the ownership structure of the business?
o Pty Ltd company
o Publicly listed company
o Partnership
o Sole trader
o Association
o Not for Profit
4 Size of the business (number of employees)
o <5 (Micro), o 6-19 (Small), o 20-199 (Medium), o >200 (Large)
It is important to understand the business itself before you can develop a scenario of the town centre purpose and the elements that make it work well.
Note for Research Teams: The questions below will need to be developed into open ended questions to encourage rich answers
5 What % of your employees live locally in the Cumberland Council area?
Note: who works for your business
6 About the business:
• What does the business do?
• Number of years in operation. How long has your business been located in its current location? Did you move? If yes, what attracted you to this area? If yes, why?
• Why did you choose this location?
• What are the most popular products you sell?
• Who are your typical customers? When and why do they typically access your business?
Note: Once all interview information is collated it will provide you with data about what happens in the town centre
7 Transport
• How do your customers get to your business?
o walk o cycle odrive opublic transport (if yes which mode: o bus o train)
• Do you need to deliver products/food to your customers? If yes, what is the main method of transportation?
o Large Truck o Medium Sized Truck o Van or Car o Bicycle o Walking
8 The Business Environment
• What other businesses do you need around you to support the growth of your business?
• This question requires you to understand the supply chain of the business e.g. where do they source their product. And, What complimentary business types are needed to ensure the sustainability of the business.
• Are there any businesses located in the town centre that hurt your business or should not be located here?
• What are the biggest advantages of having a business in this area?
• How important is public space and amenity to the success of your business? Things like street furniture, outdoor seating, lighting, clean streets, footpath width, trees and greenspace.
• What do you think is needed more of on this street?
Note: By analysing what is happening in the business area and what the expections of the businesss are you will have a deeper understanding of what happens in the town centre.
9 The Town Centre
• What does your town centre do well?
• Why to people use your town centre?
• Who are the people that use your town centre?
Note: Now add what you can see to the previous findings… what is really happening in the town centre?
10 Develop 5 further questions that would assist you in answering the Objectives of this research
11 Any further comments?