Town centre boss quits
The town centre manager for Cannock, Hednesford and Rugeley today revealed he has quit his post and may not be replaced.The town centre manager for Cannock, Hednesford and Rugeley today revealed he has quit his post and may not be replaced. Bob Flack took over the job two and a half years ago but is stepping down just months before European Union funding is set to stop. The loss of funding, in December, could put the town centre management scheme in jeopardy and Mr Flack's bosses at the South Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce will hold urgent talks to find a solution. The council will not fund it on their own, nor can the Chamber, and no replacement for Mr Flack's post is being sought. Read the full story in the Express & Star
Bob Flack took over the job two and a half years ago but is stepping down just months before European Union funding is set to stop.
The loss of funding, in December, could put the town centre management scheme in jeopardy and Mr Flack's bosses at the South Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce will hold urgent talks to find a solution.
The council will not fund it on their own, nor can the Chamber, and no replacement for Mr Flack's post is being sought.The 61-year-old has been in town centre management for 10 years including previous posts in Stafford, Dudley and Stourbridge.
Before that he was a senior manager at a department store in Hereford for almost 20 years and chairman of their town centre forum.
Today he told the Express & Star he had "left a legacy" in Cannock, most notably by drawing up an ambitious five-year Clean, Safe and Tidy (CST) campaign in November 2004, which made the town centre more attractive to shoppers.
Discarded gum, litter and fly-posting were all targeted in the clean-up and benches, lamp posts and railings in the trio of town centres were given a lick of paint, while measures were introduced to make all car parks well lit and secure.
He also helped to introduce crowd-pulling events such as monthly craft and antique markets, an occasional European Market and last year's Big Brother-style competition in the Bandstand.
He said: "I would like to think I've left a legacy in Cannock.
"The priorities of the public and private sectors are often very different and I had to try and marry those up, but I find that Cannock people are very loyal about where they shop which helped."
Mr Flack said funding was the only reason he was leaving and he is set to join Birmingham City Council as village manager for Harbourne.
He added: "I have thoroughly enjoyed it and I think it was successful, in that I'm happy with some of the initiatives I have brought in.
"But sometimes the only regret is the other partners haven't moved as quickly as we would have liked.
"I think everyone looks to the town centre management to listen and help solve their problems and you are an ambassador for the town, so it is always nice when people come up to you in the street and say thank-you."
