News: Prisk pops in to Rotherham town centre
Mark Prisk MP, minister of state for housing, visited Rotherham town centre recently to see for himself some of the innovative ways that the High Street is being revived.
The minister, who is also responsible for high streets, town centres and markets, was given a cordial welcome in the Whistle Stop Sweet Shop and Temperance Bar and visited the "Pop-up Shop" currently being fitted out in the Imperial Buildings.
The sweet shop recently expanded with support from a grant from Rotherham Borough Council's Business Vitality Grants Scheme which offers support to new businesses and those looking to expand their business in the town.
The Council's Town Centre Team is also supporting a Pop-up Shop by offering a prime retail unit in the refurbished Imperial Buildings on flexible and attractive lease terms to help businesses get up and running. "Vintage Dolls" will be offering vintage clothing and furniture after being initially offered a three month licence for the unit with the option to occupy the shop for up to one year if successful. Rental discounts, help with fitting out and free business support & retail training form part of the package available.
Pop-up Shops have become increasingly popular across the country as a means of offering retail space to new start businesses looking to try out their markets, gain valuable experience to shape their business model and to make a sound decision regarding their long term viability before potentially investing significantly in set-up costs and committing to a long term lease agreement.
The scheme is being funded by central Government as part of a grant received by Rotherham Council and follows the announcement last year that Rotherham was successful in becoming a "Portas Pilot" town.
And Rotherham town centre has also been shortlisted for another Government funding programme. A bid to the "Future High Street: X Fund" was submitted by the council's Retail Investment Team just before Christmas. The aim of the fund is to recognise and reward those towns delivering the most effective and innovative plans to bring their towns back to life and the successful town or towns look set to secure a share of the £1m fund.
A strong proposal was submitted focussing on Rotherham's improved shopping offer, increased footfall, reduced vacancy rate and the bid highlighted the various projects underway including the Business Vitality Grants, Shop Local initiative and the new Pop-up Shop concept.
In the town centre, figures showed an 8% increase in footfall for December 2012 compared to the same month in 2011 and the footfall figures for 2012 as a whole saw an 8.26% increase on 2011's statistics.
After his visit to Rotherham, Mark Prisk (pictured, far left) said that the "Team has really turned things around" adding: "I was incredibly impressed with the plans for reinventing the town centre and the work being done to help new and existing businesses. The changes being made are really encouraging, demonstrating how a town centre can reinvent itself with strong local support.
"I look forward to following the town's progress in becoming a retail destination that the local community want to come to."
Rotherham is also part of the Future High Streets Forum, established by the government to build on the work of the 27 Portas Pilots and 330 Town Team Partners and bring together leaders across retail, property and business to better understand the competition town centres across the country face and to drive forward new ideas and policies to help revive the high street.
Prisk added: "I know that no two high streets are the same and no silver bullet will transform the situation. But I'm confident that the Future High Street Forum will provide communities across the country with the help, support and expertise they need to find creative and innovative solutions to putting their town centres at the heart of their communities once again."
Rotherham town centre website
Images: RMBC
The minister, who is also responsible for high streets, town centres and markets, was given a cordial welcome in the Whistle Stop Sweet Shop and Temperance Bar and visited the "Pop-up Shop" currently being fitted out in the Imperial Buildings.
The sweet shop recently expanded with support from a grant from Rotherham Borough Council's Business Vitality Grants Scheme which offers support to new businesses and those looking to expand their business in the town.
The Council's Town Centre Team is also supporting a Pop-up Shop by offering a prime retail unit in the refurbished Imperial Buildings on flexible and attractive lease terms to help businesses get up and running. "Vintage Dolls" will be offering vintage clothing and furniture after being initially offered a three month licence for the unit with the option to occupy the shop for up to one year if successful. Rental discounts, help with fitting out and free business support & retail training form part of the package available.
Pop-up Shops have become increasingly popular across the country as a means of offering retail space to new start businesses looking to try out their markets, gain valuable experience to shape their business model and to make a sound decision regarding their long term viability before potentially investing significantly in set-up costs and committing to a long term lease agreement.
The scheme is being funded by central Government as part of a grant received by Rotherham Council and follows the announcement last year that Rotherham was successful in becoming a "Portas Pilot" town.
And Rotherham town centre has also been shortlisted for another Government funding programme. A bid to the "Future High Street: X Fund" was submitted by the council's Retail Investment Team just before Christmas. The aim of the fund is to recognise and reward those towns delivering the most effective and innovative plans to bring their towns back to life and the successful town or towns look set to secure a share of the £1m fund.
A strong proposal was submitted focussing on Rotherham's improved shopping offer, increased footfall, reduced vacancy rate and the bid highlighted the various projects underway including the Business Vitality Grants, Shop Local initiative and the new Pop-up Shop concept.
In the town centre, figures showed an 8% increase in footfall for December 2012 compared to the same month in 2011 and the footfall figures for 2012 as a whole saw an 8.26% increase on 2011's statistics.
After his visit to Rotherham, Mark Prisk (pictured, far left) said that the "Team has really turned things around" adding: "I was incredibly impressed with the plans for reinventing the town centre and the work being done to help new and existing businesses. The changes being made are really encouraging, demonstrating how a town centre can reinvent itself with strong local support.
"I look forward to following the town's progress in becoming a retail destination that the local community want to come to."
Rotherham is also part of the Future High Streets Forum, established by the government to build on the work of the 27 Portas Pilots and 330 Town Team Partners and bring together leaders across retail, property and business to better understand the competition town centres across the country face and to drive forward new ideas and policies to help revive the high street.
Prisk added: "I know that no two high streets are the same and no silver bullet will transform the situation. But I'm confident that the Future High Street Forum will provide communities across the country with the help, support and expertise they need to find creative and innovative solutions to putting their town centres at the heart of their communities once again."
Rotherham town centre website
Images: RMBC
0 comments:
Post a Comment