Purple Flag

INTRODUCING PURPLE FLAG!

Purple Flag is the new "gold standard" that recognises great entertainment and hospitality areas at night. Places that achieve the standard will be those that offer a positive experience to night time visitors and users. Just as Blue Flag is an indicator of a good beach and Green Flag a good park, Purple Flag is set to be the indicator of where to go for a good night out and will bring positive publicity for the successful town and city centres.

Purple Flag has been designed as an objective assessment that will help you put in place the right framework across five key areas for your town or city centre at night. Most significantly it is designed to provide recognition that your centre is managing its night time experience and thus help overcome any negative public perceptions that may exist. Purple Flag provides the opportunity for successful centres to present themselves in their true colours and in a positive light to town centre users and operators, residents, tourists and visitors.

Purple Flag aims to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of centres between 1700 and 0600. The scheme is managed by the ATCM working alongside the Purple Flag Advisory Board - a partnership of key stakeholder groups, including central and local government, police, business and consumers.

Areas that reach or surpass Purple Flag standards can fly the flag! The market testing which was carried out shows that stakeholders think it will bring real benefits, including:

• A raised profile and an improved public image
• Wider patronage
• Increased expenditure
• Lower crime and anti-social behaviour
• A more successful mixed-use economy

Purple Flag has been developed by ATCM and the Purple Flag Advisory Board from original research undertaken by the Civic Trust as part if its "NightVision" project. This showed that:

• More people would use centres at night if they were safer, more accessible and offered more choice
• A good mix of clientele can lessen intimidation and improve perceptions
• A wider range of attractions and consumers leads to longer term economic viability

Read on to find out how you can benefit from Purple Flag

In the following pages we tell you how to participate in Purple Flag and what you need to do to raise the standard and gain Purple Flag accreditation for your area.

The first step is to register your interest in Purple Flag. We will then send you the Purple Flag Entrants' Resource Pack, which includes information, guidance, templates and good practice examples to help you prepare your entry. To do this contact Toyubur Rahman on toyubur.rahman@atcm.org.

Click the links below for more information.

WHAT IS PURPLE FLAG?

WHO CAN APPLY?

APPLICATION PROCESS

TIMETABLE AND FEES

ENTRANTS RESOURCE PACK

NOT READY FOR PURPLE FLAG? EVENING ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STUDY

CASE STUDIES

CONTACT US

WHAT IS PURPLE FLAG?

Purple Flag is an award given to an area based on an objective assessment of five key elements of that area at night.

Purple Flag has been developed in conjunction with the Home Office, Department of Communities and Local Government, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Association of Chief Police Officers, British Institute of Innkeepers, BCSC Educational and Research Trust, Noctis, Institute of Licensing, Business In the Community, Keep Britain Tidy, Kingston First and LACORS. It is led by the Association of Town Centre Management (ATCM).

To secure the award of a Purple Flag, an area has to achieve set standards in respect of five key elements. These are applicable regardless of the size of the location. The five key elements are shown in the diagram below and explained in more detail below that.

1. Policy Framework: There needs to be evidence of a clear aim and common purpose for the management of the area and how it offers a positive experience. After-hours policy crosses many professional, budgetary and sectoral boundaries. The challenge is to bring clarity and focus to a complicated field. A clear and appropriate local strategy is needed based on sound research, integrated public policy and a successful multi-sector partnership.
   
2. Wellbeing: A prerequisite for successful destinations is that they should be safe and welcoming. Some services may need to be upgraded or extended to cope with specific needs after dark. All sectors have a part to play in delivering high standards of customer care.
    
3. Movement: Getting home safely after an evening out is a prime requirement. So too is the ability to move around the centre on foot with ease. Improvements may be needed for all types of movement, if centres are to function properly and be appealing after hours.
    
4. Appeal: Successful destinations should offer a vibrant choice of leisure and entertainment for a diversity of ages, lifestyles and cultures, including families. They should contain a rich mix of public and private attractions. They should be vital places for both the day and the night.
    
5. Place: Successful hospitality areas are alive during the day, as well as in the evening and night. They contain a blend of overlapping activities that encourage people to mingle and attractive places where spending and being are in balance. They respect and reinforce the character and identity of the area - its buildings, structures and features. They demonstrate flair and imagination in all aspects of design for the night.

Each of the five elements is assessed using six aspects. These are explained in the Entrants' Resource Pack and can be used by participants in preparing their entry and will be used by the Purple Flag Assessors and Accreditation Panel in reaching their decision as to whether to award recognition. In the Entrant's Resource Pack you will also find good practice examples.

We recognise that there are differences between centres and this will be reflected in the assessment which will grade each element of a centre in one of five categories which have been colour coded:

• Excellent/outstanding - Purple
• Above the expected standard - Dark Green
• Achieves the expected standard - Light Green
• Below the expected standard - Light Red
• Significantly below the expected standard and an area of primary concern - Dark Red

To be awarded Purple Flag status a centre must:

• Achieve the expected standard in all five elements (no reds)

An example of the scores for a successful entrant is shown below:

Flying the Flag

Accredited centres will have the right to display the Purple Flag emblem for two years, subject to a ‘light touch' review after 12 months. The Flag may be displayed:

• From a flagpole
• A banner hanging from a lamp standard
• A pennant for bunting
• A window sticker

A Purple Flag will be supplied free of charge to every accredited centre. Additional flags, banners, pennants, stickers and badges can also be obtained from the ATCM

We hope that once having experienced the benefits of Purple Flag accreditation local stakeholders will want to keep the flag flying. It is also essential for Purple Flag's credibility that accredited centres maintain their standard. During the period of accreditation, we reserve the right to make unannounced spot checks to ensure that standards are being maintained.

Where real problems exist, these will be raised with entrants and accreditation may be suspended. In certain cases the Accreditation Panel may require a fresh submission. At the end of two years from accreditation a new submission and updated documents will be required to keep the flag flying.

WHO CAN APPLY?

You can participate in Purple Flag if you are a body with a legitimate stake in the evening and night time economy of your town or city centre and are working in partnership with other key interests such as:

• Health, licensing, security and safety
• Late night transport and public realm management
• Hospitality and entertainment
• Planning and development
• Residents and consumers

Local authorities, town centre partnerships, business improvement districts, crime and disorder reduction partnerships, Pubwatch partnerships, civic societies and others can all take part. We expect that Local Authorities and Police will be closely involved or take the lead in most cases.

What types of centre?

Purple Flag is designed to apply to all centres of entertainment or those with a leisure offer that is active and varied after hours including:

• Whole town and city centres
• Entertainment districts within cities and large towns
• Streets and squares within market and country towns
• New town centres or edge of centre developments that have a diverse appeal after hours

Our research indicates that Purple Flag can bring real benefits which include:

• A raised profile and an improved public image for the location
• A wider patronage, increased expenditure
• Lower crime and anti social behaviour
• A more successful mixed use economy in the longer term.

APPLICATION PROCESS

ATCM will be inviting applications on two occasions each year (details are below of the first two rounds). The steps to application are as follows:

1. You need to register your interest by contacting toyubur.rahman@atcm.org and receive the Purple Flag Entrants' Resource Pack (there is no charge to register your interest). The Resource Pack contains practical step by step guidance on how to prepare your entry, supporting charts and templates and details of good practice.
2. You then need to prepare and submit your entry by the relevant deadline. Your entry will need to contain the following which are detailed in the Entrants' Resource Pack:
   • Map of area showing the location of attractions and key services
   • An area snapshot providing a profile of the area
   • Self-assessment chart based on your overnight appraisal of the area
   • Entry form and fee
   • Digital pictures of the area
3. We then undertake an Overnight Appraisal using trained Purple Flag Assessors and working alongside the applicants
4. Our Assessors then undertake a follow-up fact check with you to review any variances between entry documents and the Appraisal
5. Your entry together with the findings of the Assessors are then considered by the Purple Flag Accreditation Panel leading to:
   Accreditation or Rejection but with practical feedback and commendation on specific good practice
6. Successful entrants will then be invited to receive their Purple Flag at an Accreditation Ceremony and to display it for 2 years unless standards are identified as having fallen by spot check or the 12 month 'light touch' review
7. Purple Flag holders will be listed on the Purple Flag website and in regular news releases and featured in other marketing and promotional activity related to Purple Flag.

Who will assess my application?

ATCM and the Purple Flag Advisory Board have trained practitioners from a range of disciplines as Assessors. Assessors will undertake overnight assessments in each applicant location, liaise with applicants on follow-up fact check, and prepare recommendations for the Accreditation Panel. Each applicant location will be visited by two assessors as part of their application. Representatives from the Assessor Panel will also undertake spot checks and the 12 month ‘light touch' review.

As noted under Step five above, each application following assessment will be referred to the Purple Flag Accreditation Panel. This is made up of senior figures with experience of creating and managing successful town and city centres at night. The panel will make the formal decision based on the application and the Assessors' report on whether a location is awarded Purple Flag status.

What is the Assessment about?

Respect for Purple Flag depends on the credibility of its standards and the integrity of the assessment. The assessment will be rigorous, but the conclusions can be set out clearly using the Purple Flag Appraisal Matrix.

The actual Assessment takes place twice. The first is undertaken by the applicant using the guidance in the Entrants' Resource Pack and the results should form part of the application. This initial survey should identify any areas that need improvement or action. The second Assessment follows your application and is by two external Purple Flag Assessors.

The Assessment itself is an on the ground appraisal of the performance of the centre during the hours it is active at night and measures performance in each of the five elements detailed above against the expected standard. The Assessment seeks a rounded appreciation of how the centre performs and therefore each of the five elements will be included. We would suggest that the initial self-assessment should include representatives of the five categories of interest, preferably having personal and practical knowledge of the operation of the centre in the evening and at night. Some (for example licensing officers, police, town centre managers, public works officers, and venue managers) will be very familiar with aspects of the centre at night, but may not have stepped outside their specific concerns to see things in the round.

The Entrants' Resource Pack contains an Overnight Appraisal Template. It is based on earlier research in six locations who we worked with to test the concept and methodology. There are some key issues to monitor throughout the night and also things to look out for in each of the "after hours" time bands. For example:

• 5-8pm - Early Evening. Observe late night shopping, patterns of arrival for a night out, early or pre-theatre dining, street events, entertainment, and the condition of the public realm.
• 8-11pm - Late Evening. The arrival of the late crowd, the opening of late night venues, departure of diners and theatre-goers, behaviour on the streets, inebriation, CCTV coverage, policing and customer care.
• 11-2am - Night. People leaving venues, crowd behaviour, their journey homewards, public transport, policing, surveillance, overnight cleansing.
• 2-5am - Late Night. Venues still open, movement between venues, takeaways, cleansing, transport, policing and customer care.

TIMETABLE AND FEES

There are two opportunities to apply for Purple Flag in the next year. Thereafter applications will be welcome twice each year and details of the dates for this will be posted on the Purple Flag and ATCM websites.

Round 1: Applications must be submitted between 1 October 2009 and 15th January 2010. Assessment visits will take place between January and March 2010 and successful applicants will be awarded their Purple Flag status in April 2010.

Round 2: Applications must be submitted between 1 April 2010 and 30 June 2010. Assessment visits will take place between July and September 2010 and successful applicants will be awarded their Purple Flag status in October 2010.

Each application must be accompanied by an entry fee. The entry fee covers the cost of processing of the application including the visit by the Assessors, fact checking with the applicant, preparation of the report to the Accreditation Panel, guidance and feedback to applicants, and attendance for two people at the Purple Flag Awards Ceremony and subsequent spot checks. The fee is non-returnable but any applicant who is not successful will be entitled to re-apply within a 12 month period at 50% of the relevant prevailing rate.

The entry fee depends on the population of the urban area within which the designated centre of entertainment is situated.

All fees are exclusive of VAT.

ENTRANTS RESOURCE PACK

The entrants resource pack contains all the information that you should need to make an application. If you require further information, clarification or any queries please contact Toyubur Rahman at Toyubur.rahman@atcm.org or by phone on 07920 452089

Entrant's Resource Pack

1.    Purple Flag Entry Form
2.    Core Agenda Themes
3.    Area Snapshot Template
4.    Overnight Appraisal Template
5.    Overnight Appraisal - Commonsense Advice
6.    Self Assessment Form

Good Practice Handbook

FURTHER INFORMATION/CONTACT US

For further information or to register and receive a Purple Flag Entrants' Resource Pack, contact Toyubur Rahman at toyubur.rahman@atcm.org or on +44 (0)7920 452089.

NOT READY FOR PURPLE FLAG? TOWN CENTRE EVENING ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT

If you are a location which aspires to the vision of Purple Flag but your initial assessment or understanding suggests you are a long way from achieving all the standards, then ATCM can help. We have a programme that has been piloted in several locations that helps centres work through the Purple Flag process as a constructive framework towards realising the standards.

The process could take up to 24 months, though can be done more quickly, and at the end you  should be in a clearer position about the needs, priorities and the actions to be taken for a successful night economy and achieve the Purple Flag standards.

There about seven stages to the full programme and at the end of the process, town centre participants will have a:

• Visions and Baseline review of the evening economy
• Outline Management Plan fro the Evening/Night Time Economy
• Night Time Performance Audit
• Priorities for Action
• Stakeholder Seminar: Working together for Purple Flag
• Action Planning for Purple Flag: Addressing the challenge
• Best practice and Networking Opportunities

Take part

At present, about six town and cities have expressed an interest in taking part in the programme. We have capacity for a further four, though we will look to work with others in the future. The programme is aimed at centres with a vibrant evening economy but where a diverse range of issues which are impeding its full potential.

Tackling these issues needs a collective response from all the key stakeholders; working together to make lasting improvements and changing perceptions.

Fees

Fees are applied to taking part in the programme. There are about seven stages in the complete process and each stage costs £3,500 + vat. However, it is flexible and not all places will need to go through each stage. This will depend on the level of support that is required and previous work that has already been carried out.

Contact

If you are interested in participating in the programme please contact toyubur.rahman@atcm.org.