Stretford has been chosen as one of five towns to get a huge chunk of money toward improving its high street.
The area is set to benefit from £20,000 as part of a national pilot scheme and will become what’s known as a community improvement district. The programme aims to give local people, community organisations and businesses a say over improvements to their high streets.
Stretford already sits at the centre of joint plans for multi-million pound high street improvements from Trafford council and developers Bruntwood.
Coun Andrew Western, leader of Trafford council, said: “There are exciting plans for Stretford and it’s been great to see our local communities working positively right from the start on the future of the area.”
“We have seen the benefit of community involvement in the recent masterplan exercises and other initiatives is so it’s really pleasing to see Stretford at the forefront of this national pilot scheme.
“We are committed to working in partnership for the future of Stretford so together we create a dynamic, multi-purpose high street that is right at the heart of our community.”
In 1969, Stretford’s historic town centre was largely demolished to be replaced by a shopping centre that became the heart of the town for over 40 years. Today vacancy rates in the mall stand at 26 per cent.
Stretford’s Community Improvement District pilot is set to build on the existing partnership working between Trafford council, Bruntwood, and the Stretford Community Collective, led by Stretford Public Hall.
The programme will work with the local community to explore development options, including a new GP surgery, new health and wellbeing facilities, local services for families and potentially a new, relocated library.
It will consider asset transfers and community-led development of local spaces, such as current plans to develop a new market hall within the town’s multi-storey car park.
Besides Stretford, four other areas of the UK are taking part in this latest pilot. These are:
- Skelmersdale, Lancashire
- Hendon, Sunderland
- Ipswich, Suffolk
- Wolverton, Milton Keynes
The five pilots will begin this month and each will be awarded £20,000 alongside expert support and guidance to begin establishing, managing and running their Community Improvement District.
Jenny Sansom, Community Improvement District pilot lead at Power to Change, said: “If we are to reverse the plague of identikit high streets on the one hand and tackle shuttered-up buildings on the other, we must give communities ownership and say over their town centres.
“In Scotland, Community Improvement Districts are already reinventing towns by empowering communities, alongside local businesses and councils, to set the direction for their high street.
“Rolling out this approach in England has the potential to turn the tide on decline by acting as a catalyst for bold, creative high streets that move beyond the outdated retail-dominated model and offer people services and experiences not available online.”
The latest figures from the British Retail Consortium revealed visitor numbers to UK high streets, shopping centres and retail parks last month remained 12.5pc down on pre-pandemic levels.
The shift to working from home and concerns about the cost of living continue to hold back trade, with visits to shopping centres down by more than a quarter on 2019 while high streets had 14pc fewer visitors.
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