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Stockport is one of twelve town centres across the country to be given a unique opportunity to revitalise their high streets after being selected to be the first Portas Pilots, Local Government Minister Grant Shapps said today.
Mr Shapps praised the exceptional quality of the winning bids, which will each receive a slice of £1.2 million and a tailored package of support from both the Minister and retail guru Mary Portas.
From Stockport to Margate, successful pilots will be helped to implement their ideas to rejuvenate the town centre, as well as test out the measures in Mary Portas’ High Street Review.
Stockport will receive £100,000 in government funding for its pilot scheme. The town’s proximity to Manchester and the Trafford centre means the large market town’s high street is among the worst affected in England. The Markets and Underbanks area in particular has 25-50% vacancies, yet the recently restored area has huge character and potential.
Stockport’s pilot will bring a new vibe to the area with venues owned and run by young people, and a creative arts complex ‘Seven Miles Out’. There will be a programme of evening events to animate Stockport’s unique places and spaces such as outdoor screenings in St Peter’s Square.
Other elements include using the creative community to “dress” vacant units, support for current and new occupancies, a new strategy for car parking charges, and street champions.
Second round announced
The competition to become a pilot received an overwhelming response, with over 370 applications from across the country. Mr Shapps said unsuccessful applicants should not despair – the quality of the bids has been so high that he was launching a second round of the competition, which will see 15 additional pilots announced by the end of July.
Mr Shapps said there was no need for unsuccessful applicants to reapply, but they could sharpen up their bids if they wished and submit them again by 30 June, which was also the deadline for new town teams to apply.
The Minister said it was clear that Mary Portas’s review into the High Street was the “catalyst communities craved” to get together and secure the future of their town centres.
Local Government Minister Grant Shapps said:
“The best local high streets offer more than simply shopping – they are the beating heart of their neighbourhoods: places to meet, work, relax and come together as a community. It’s why this competition to become a Portas Pilot has captured the imagination of the nation, with communities across the country uniting to support their high streets.
“The quality and sheer number of applications has been overwhelming – 12 winning bids now have the chance to receive expert advice and financial support, but I believe more towns deserve to be selected.
“So today I can announce a second round of the competition will see 15 more town centres benefit from this unique opportunity. Together these pilots can be the vanguard of a high street revolution, and others can look to their example to kick start a renaissance of our town centres.”
Peter Drummond, President of the British Council of Shopping Centres, said:
“With high street pilots being such a central plank to Mary Portas’ recommendations to Government, today’s announcement of the winning Town Teams is fantastic news.
“Local communities from up and down the country have submitted some incredibly innovative ideas designed to boost struggling high streets, and the enthusiasm demonstrated is to be applauded. We look forward to working closely with them in delivering these ambitious plans, providing free mentoring from within our membership and drawing upon the vast experience therein to maximise what can be achieved.
“However, importantly we consider this the first step in what should be a crucial ongoing initiative for Britain – both in the context of local community and the wider economy.”
Martin Blackwell, Chief Executive of the Association of Town Centre Management, said:
“The competition to be one of the first 12 Portas Pilots has galvanised activity across England focused on improving high streets.
“It is a tribute to the resilience of the British public that so many people are willingly volunteering their time, energy and imagination towards saving and improving their own town centre neighbourhoods at the present time.
“The ATCM looks forward to working with and assisting all the applicants, not just the winners, during the months that lie ahead.”
Support for Town Teams
The first 12 Portas Pilot towns are:
Bedford - offering mentoring support for High Street businesses and community use of empty properties.
Croydon, Greater London - transforming the riot-stricken area’s historic Old Town market into a thriving market, food and cultural quarter.
Dartford, Kent - opening up central spaces for use by classes and clubs, from the Scouts to Slimming World and starting a ‘school for shopkeepers’.
Bedminster, Bristol – putting Bedminster on the map for Street Art and Street Theatre. A bicycle rickshaw service and a review of parking will also tackle the traffic environment.
Liskeard, Cornwall - competing against the edge of town supermarket with a vibrant arts scene, guerrilla gardening and yarn bombing to inject fun back into the town centre.
Margate, Kent - putting education and enjoyment at the heart of the town centre’s transformation with courses, “job club” services and pop up shops.
Market Rasen, Lincolnshire - drawing customers in by restoring the market town look and feel, advertising free parking and mentoring new businesses.
Nelson, Lancashire - attracting local students with a young persons café, sports activities, and a new art and vintage market.
Newbiggin by the Sea, Northumberland - better branding of the town to draw people in, improving local transport and hosting pop up shops.
Stockport, Greater Manchester - realising the character and potential of the Markets and Underbanks area with a creative arts complex, outdoor screenings, a new parking strategy and street champions.
Stockton on Tees, North Yorkshire - live entertainment at the Globe Theatre to boost the evening leisure economy alongside specialist High Street and evening markets.
Wolverhampton - bringing the city will to life with modern day town criers and on-street performers and a ‘dragon’s den’ style competition to support local entrepreneurs.
The 12 new pilots’ leading Town Teams will now start work to bring their high street back to life. To help them on the path to success they will receive:
A share of £1.2 million to put their winning plans into action
Dedicated contact point in Government to provide advice and support in identifying and overcoming challenges to local business growth.
Free support from retail industry leaders including Mary Portas’ own team and access to a range of sector experts.
Opportunities to meet and discuss with fellow pilots to share their experiences and lessons learned
Areas that are unsuccessful will also benefit from the pilots, as the best ideas and solutions will be shared to help struggling high streets across the country.
This is alongside a range of other measures announced by the Housing Minister in the response to the Portas High Street review, including:
-a £1million Future High Street X-Fund for creative and effective schemes to rejuvenate town centres;
-a National Markets Day and Fortnight, to celebrate local markets and offer budding entrepreneurs the chance to test their business ideas; and
-a £500,000 Business Improvement Districts fund to help town centres access set-up loans.
