Issue - meetings

Councillor D Wright, the Cabinet Member for Economy, Housing, Transport and Infrastructure presented the report of the Director for Housing, Employment and Infrastructure.

The Pride in Our High Streets scheme was entering its seventh year, having launched in 2015. The scheme had developed into a nationally recognised model for investment in high streets and had had a visible and lasting impact on the Borough’s high streets with 30 empty retail premises brought back into use, creating more than 100 local high street jobs to date (and many more in the supply chain), and leveraging more than £1.32m of private sector investment. 

Investment into façade improvements had seen the transformation of many shop frontages to give the Borough’s high streets visual appeal and the programme had seen businesses supported to diversify and support for start-ups to help recovery from COVID. 

Through the Young High Street Challenge, over 1000 young people had been directly engaged in the future of Telford’s high streets. The Council had been working with town and parish councils and established a programme of activity to promote and celebrate the high streets as the latest lockdown was eased, residents were encouraged to be ‘loyal to local’.

The report set out the blueprint for the delivery of Phase Three of the Pride in Our High Streets scheme which would see £4.8m invested over the following two years with an initial funding package of £2.5m to be invested in 2021/2022.

Phase 3 recognised the continuing problems faced by high streets and sets high street regeneration in a new context reflecting the on-going impact of COVID and the continued growth of on-line shopping which posed both challenges and opportunities. The new programme would consolidate and build on success, maintaining elements of the existing programme alongside new initiatives including new digital and environmental grant schemes, a property improvement voucher scheme, improvements to the public realm and initiatives that would enhance our high streets as more than retail destinations.

Members thanked officers for their work on the scheme.

Members praised the scheme and the impact it had had on the Borough’s high streets. The scheme had been transformative and brought new life to the district centres.

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat/Independent Group expressed support for the report. The Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group, noted that the scheme had real benefits.

RESOLVED that –

i) The successful delivery and outcomes of the Phase 2 Pride in Our High Street programme be noted.

ii)  Proposals for Phase 3 of the Programme be approved and responsibility be delegated to the Director Housing, Employment & Infrastructure in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood, Commercial Services & Regeneration for Place Plan delivery and grant funding approvals.