Blog | BAS Consultancy Ltd

// We need to get on top of the wicked problem of shoplifting in our town centres

benstephenson

7 days ago6 min read

// We need to get on top of the wicked problem of shoplifting in our town centres

Shoplifting is not a victimless crime. It is a traumatic and violent act that ruins businesses and frightens staff every day. By BEN...

27 views0 comments

// What did the High Streets Task Force do for our town centres?

benstephenson

Oct 28, 20246 min read

// What did the High Streets Task Force do for our town centres?

As the High Streets Task Force wraps up after five years, BEN STEPHENSON of BAS Consultancy writes about his experiences delivering...

88 views0 comments

benstephenson

Feb 21, 20244 min read

// Disneyfying the Day of the Dead

The success of a visitor economy may rest on how well the assets of a place can be packaged and sold. As a result, tourism can change the...

31 views0 comments

Sub-postmasters, retailers and other high street workers are unsung heroes of social infrastructure

benstephenson

Jan 11, 20243 min read

Sub-postmasters, retailers and other high street workers are unsung heroes of social infrastructure

The sub-postmasters scandal has been an important reminder of the position in the community those that work on the high street hold:...

30 views0 comments

// Making noise: culture and the city soundscape

benstephenson

Jun 22, 20228 min read

// Making noise: culture and the city soundscape

Why do we get so annoyed at our neighbours playing loud music, but we can zone out the racket of traffic noise? Should we have a right to...

226 views0 comments

Guidance for public bodies reviewing contested heritage

benstephenson

Sep 16, 20212 min read

Guidance for public bodies reviewing contested heritage

Authors Ben Stephenson – Director, BAS Consultancy; Senior Fellow, Institute of Place Management Dr Joanna Burch Brown – Senior Lecturer,...

456 views0 comments

// Celebrate indies, but the problems of the high street won't be fixed by them alone

benstephenson

Jun 23, 20215 min read

// Celebrate indies, but the problems of the high street won't be fixed by them alone

High streets are complex and there are no simple solutions to addressing the problems, writes BEN STEPHENSON, consultant for BAS...

194 views0 comments

benstephenson

May 21, 20211 min read

BAS Consultancy: project examples

Town Visions and Action Plans BAS Consultancy has worked with a range of places, from city centres to rural communities to engage...

42 views0 comments

benstephenson

Nov 13, 20206 min read

// how do we make places with purpose?

Amid all this transformation, reactionary forces seek to return us to the old ways - traffic choked towns, shopping monoculture, absentee...

127 views0 comments

// Who we put on pedestals is an ongoing placemaking issue

benstephenson

Jun 15, 20205 min read

// Who we put on pedestals is an ongoing placemaking issue

The toppling of the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol in June was a monumental occasion, sending a clear signal that the object would...

82 views0 comments

benstephenson

Mar 31, 20204 min read

// What's next for the high street?

Spring 2020 will be one for the history books as Covid-19 takes hold across the globe. But we need to start the thinking about what we...

377 views0 comments

// New developments: profit before place?

benstephenson

Jan 21, 20204 min read

// New developments: profit before place?

We spend a lot of time thinking about how to improve the sense of place in high streets and town centres, but how are we doing when it...

131 views0 comments

benstephenson

Dec 6, 20191 min read

// Manifesto fever

The run up to a general election acts as a strategic focus for think-tanks, public institutions and trade bodies, who publish their own...

9 views0 comments

//Five businesses that are changing the way we think about the high street

benstephenson

May 28, 20195 min read

//Five businesses that are changing the way we think about the high street

Reports of the 'death of the high street' are ubiquitous, unhelpful and beginning to compound the problem. However, examples abound which...

226 views0 comments

//Nine tips for Business Improvement Districts thinking of starting a neighbourhood plan

benstephenson

Mar 1, 20195 min read

//Nine tips for Business Improvement Districts thinking of starting a neighbourhood plan

More Business Improvement Districts are becoming involved in developing neighbourhood plans for their communities, reflecting a growth in...

177 views0 comments

//Are BIDs geared-up to manage counter terrorism?

benstephenson

Feb 1, 20195 min read

//Are BIDs geared-up to manage counter terrorism?

Communication channels between security agencies and businesses are inadequate and in times of crisis they are vital. Can Business...

68 views0 comments

benstephenson

Jan 21, 20194 min read

//Rethinking meanwhile uses

As our cities become less affordable for artists and social enterprises, we need meanwhile spaces more than ever. But why are developers...

84 views0 comments

benstephenson

Nov 28, 20186 min read

//Street markets and the local economy

Case Study: Lower Marsh Market, SE1 Lower Marsh Market dates back hundreds of years and at one stage it was the longest in London,...

176 views0 comments