Shrewsbury hopes for success with ‘Portas Pilot’ town bid
Shrewsbury is bidding for a slice of a £1 million pot which aims to breathe new life into Britain's high streets.
Work on the bid, which includes a video submission, to win the support of retail guru Mary Portas, wrapped up yesterday.
If successful it could see the town receive a cash injection as a ‘Portas Pilot’ town.
Twelve struggling towns and cities will be chosen to share £1 million and gain support from the Department of Communities and Local Government.
Local Government Minister Grant Shapps has described the scheme as a "golden ticket" for town centres.
Ms Portas, who is known for turning around the fortunes of ailing traders on her BBC programme Mary Queen of Shops, will choose the towns out of hundreds bidding for the money.
Team Shrewsbury, made up of representatives from the town’s private, public and voluntary sector, say they would use the cash boost to drive forward a town centre management scheme, develop a ‘buy local’ campaign and carry out a review of town centre parking.
Its video submission, which forms a key part of the bid, plays on the nursery rhyme Mary, Mary Quite Contrary. The film was uploaded to YouTube yesterday.
Shrewsbury will now battle it out against around 350 other applicants including Market Drayton, Oswestry and Whitchurch for a share of the cash.
The 12 winners will be announced in May.
Gaynor Gravestock, from Shrewsbury Business Chamber and spokesperson for the Team Shrewsbury bid said: “Shrewsbury has so much to offer and we are doing many things right, but still our town centre businesses are struggling. This is a great opportunity to bring together businesses, local government and residents to learn from Mary Portas and her team, and to make Shrewsbury really thrive."
Helen Ball, Clerk to Shrewsbury Town Council said: “The Portas Pilot bid provides a great opportunity to work together. This, together with recent austerity measures, not to mention the Localism Act – the most radical empowering piece of legislation ever – will give us great opportunities.”
Philip Freeman, chairman of Shop in the Loop added: “The benefits to our Town Centre as a whole, and more specifically for our independent traders, are immense and will encourage much greater partnership working and sense of community.”
