editor posted on July 08, 2009 00:00
From LDexpress 8th July 2009
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DUNSTABLE Town Council has been blasted for its lack of support for an I Love Dunstable campaign.
A Facebook group has been set up in response to the BBC2 Mary Portas: Save Our Shops documentary last month which featured the town.
Lenwell Property Services, which has an office in West Street, Dunstable, contacted the town council to ask for support while setting up the campaign over the last two weeks.
Lenwell owner Rob Wellstead, who has even created an ‘I Love Dunstable’ logo (pictured) incorporating the Chilterns lion symbol, contacted the town centre manager with his ideas for the campaign – but says he was disappointed by the reaction.
He told LD E x p r e s s : “We’ve just got to try to get the council to support our
i n i t i a t i v e . For example, they could offer free parking in the town centre for the day. “The only thing that they proposed was putting up posters on public notice signs, but not really proposing to support it.”
“It was a real shame. There’s not really a ‘can do’ attitude at the town council. We’ve had no support from them basically.”
“All we did was set up a Facebook group after the Mary Portas programme which slated Dunstable and we’ve got 59 members already, which is good.”
“We’re looking to get T-shirts and posters produced and distribute them
around Dunstable and get some interest really.”
“The programme s h o w e d Dunstable in a bad light.”
“It’s got its problems, but it’s not that bad. It’s unfortunate how it was portrayed.” A Dunstable Town Council spokesman said: “While we have offered the use of the town centre notice boards the council has not been officially approached to be involved in the campaign.”
“It would be an issue that would have to go to the appropriate committee.”
“It would appear the campaign is a Facebook campaign and until the council is officially approached I’m afraid it’s difficult to make any comment.”