12 ‘Portas Pilot’ towns announced
Author: Adam Branson, Planning |
A group of 12 towns in England have been selected to run pilot schemes based on a government-commissioned report on improving high street vitality, the local government minister announced on Saturday.
Grant Shapps said that the towns had been selected as ‘Portas Pilots’ and would test policies set out by retail guru Mary Portas in her review of the future of England’s high-streets published in December last year.
In order to be selected, the towns had to submit bids that included details of how they would go about implementing Portas’ recommendations, as well as project proposals designed to address local problems.
The towns will share a funding package of £1.2 million and receive support from Portas and the government, Shapps said.
The 12 pilot areas are: Bedford, Croydon, Dartford, Bedminster, Liskeard, Margate, Market Rasen, Nelson, Newbiggin by the Sea, Stockport, Stockton on Tees and
Wolverhampton.
The minister said that his department had received 370 applications from towns bidding to become pilots and that as a result of the high quality of the applications a further 12 pilots would be announced by the end of July.
He said that areas that have already submitted bids do not need to resubmit in order to be considered for the second round, and that the deadline for new bids is the 30th June.
Shapps said: “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.”
See here for further information about the pilot towns’ bids.