Partner Article

Bids submitted for ‘Portas Pilot’ towns

Towns across the country have submitted their applications to become ‘Portas Pilots’ as the Government announces it will accept virtually all the recommendations put forward in the Portas review.

A raft of new incentives are expected to be announced by Ministers, including funding schemes and removal of bureaucracy.

In what Ministers are referring to as ‘Portas Plus’, a new package of help will include a multi-million pound High Street Innovation Fund, kick started by £10m of taxpayers money focussed on bringing empty shops back into use; a £1m Future High Street X-Fund, which will be awarded to the locations which deliver the most creative and effective schemes, and a £500,000 fund for Business Improvement Districts, to help town centres access loans for set-up costs.

In response to the massive interest, a further round of Portas Pilots to trial some of Mary’s recommendations and to drum up new ideas will also be launched.

Minister of State for Housing and Planning said: “Today, I’m accepting virtually all of the recommendations from Mary Portas’s review – but I’m also going that one step further, offering a ‘Portas-Plus’ deal, with a range of measures designed to help local people turn their high streets
into the beating hearts of their communities once again.

“Mary Portas’s review made crystal clear the stark challenge our high streets face. With Internet shopping and out-of-town centres here to stay, they must offer something new if they are to entice visitors back.

“Her report has provided the catalyst for change that many towns have been craving. I now want to see people coming together to form their own town teams and turning their creative ideas into reality to ensure their high streets thrive long into the future.”

Martin Blackwell, chief executive at the Association of Town Centre Management, said: “We all recognise that the high street in 10 or even five years will be radically different to that we see today.

“This government’s approach, shown in the response to Mary’s report, is giving local communities the opportunity to shape the future High Street they want to see in their town.”

“Responding to the first recommendation in the review, Mr Shapps said he wanted to see hundreds of town teams – made up of key players in the local area including the council, local landlords, business owners and local MPs – being formed and mobilised across the country to drive forward the necessary change.”

Mr Blackwell will encourage town teams to consider how their high streets can become “the beating heart of the community” and how they can work with councils to use the forthcoming new powers to offer local business rate discounts.

He will also outline how they can stimulate a vibrant evening economy by encouraging local shops to open later and how they can make more imaginative and exciting use of public spaces.

Government commitments to help councils revoke unnecessary and archaic byelaws through a new streamlined process, reforms to current planning rules for conversion of above shop space into flats and a consultation on abolishing centrally-set minimum parking charges, will also be announced.

Commenting on the news David Howell, director of operations at the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) said “It is promising to hear that the government has accepted almost all of the recommendations outlined from Mary Portas in a plan to boost local business on the high street.

“Likewise here at the BIC we also look for ways to support North East businesses and those on the road to self employment and entrepreneurial success.

“So with that in mind, what better way to begin your steps to success by taking advantage of our free business rates on selected properties until March 2013, eligible ratepayers will receive small business rate relief at 100 per cent on properties up to a rateable value of £6,000.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .