Town bids to join trial to boost high streets (From Swindon Advertiser)

Town bids to join trial to boost high streets

7:00am Saturday 4th February 2012 in News

SWINDON will launch a bid to be a trial area for Government help to rescue Britain’s struggling high streets, the Advertiser can reveal.

Key public and private bodies in the town have joined forces to argue the measures – expected to include tax breaks and less “red tape” – which should be tested out in the town.

Hopes are high that the application will be successful, because Swindon has already been praised for its pioneering efforts to attract more shoppers.

In December Mary Portas – star of TV show Mary Queen Of Shops and David Cameron’s adviser on town centres – pointed to Swindon Council’s move to cut car parking charges as an idea that should be copied.

Fees were reduced to £2 for four hours. The change was originally due to last six months, but was so successful that it was made permanent.

Now the Government is poised, within days, to adopt Ms Portas’ call for a competition among local authorities, with the winners to test out her other recommendations.

Swindon Council, inSwindon, Forward Swindon, the Retailers’ Forum and town MPs will be among the first to submit proposals.

Revealing the bid, North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson said: “I feel we are in a very strong position for a number of reasons.

“Swindon has already been highlighted for best practice in the Portas Review, because car parking charges were cut to just £2 for a four-hour stay, which achieved a significant uplift in visitors to the town centre.

“Also, we are on the cusp of a major redevelopment, which makes us the ideal canvas to test out the excellent recommendations in the Portas Review.”

Among the 28 recommendations were a bonfire of red tape, to encourage budding entrepreneurs to set up market stalls; town centre management teams to compete with modern shopping malls and increasingly sophisticated supermarkets; rejigged planning laws, to ensure retail developments are built in town centres rather than on edge-of-town sites; a “buddy” system under which large chains would mentor local shopkeepers; a National Market Day and a change the rules on planning and business rates, to fill empty premises.

Mr Tomlinson said: “Town centre redevelopment is a major priority for residents – and more than 300,000 people live within 20 minutes of Swindon.

“We have the potential to deliver a transformed, modern, vibrant town centre, as the economy recovers.”