Brighton's London Road gets £100k Portas cash (From The Argus)
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Brighton's London Road gets £100k Portas cash
9:29am Wednesday 25th July 2012 in Business News By Ben James
Brighton's London Road area will receive up to £100,000 of regeneration cash after being named as one of the Portas Pilot high streets.
Their bid is one of just 15 from 392 applications to be chosen as part of the Government’s scheme to breathe new life into the UK’s shopping areas.
Along with the cash, they will receive expert advice from TV retail guru Mary Portas and her team.
Councillor Geoffrey Bowden, chairman of the council’s economic development and culture committee, described it as a “fantastic result”.
He said: “I’m now expecting this energy, the new money and our forthcoming new open market to eventually turn around London Road’s fortunes.”
The team will use the cash to introduce a security radio linking shops to tackle shoplifting and antisocial activity, as well as introducing pop-up art galleries to fill empty shops.
They will also look to increase public art events to boost the night-time economy and provide spaces for young people to trial their business ideas.
Oliver De Trafford, from Moshka Caffe in York Place, who was involved in the application, said: “It is fantastic news and will hopefully be the beginning of meaningful change in |the area.
“We have been here for coming up to five years and it has been a struggle to survive.
“Hopefully the money will be used to fill empty shops, improve cleanliness and work on easy access to the area.”
David Litchfield, development manager of Phoenix Media, who was also involved in the bid, added: “We really needed that shot in the arm and we now need to make sure we use the money wisely.
“Our main area of expertise is in filling the empty shops.
“This will be through a mixture of art exhibitions, pop-up cafes and restaurants, as well as areas for young people to try out their business |ventures.
“It just shows what you can achieve when you all get together as a group and put your heart and soul into a project.”
As well as the funding, the area will get a dedicated contact point in Government to provide advice, free support from Mary Portas’s team and retail industry giants such as Boots and opportunities to meet and share notes with other Portas Pilot groups.
Among the other 14 areas chosen are Braintree, the Lodge Lane suburb of Liverpool and Loughborough.
They will join 12 others who were awarded funding in the first round of handouts in May.
The bid was a combined effort by City College Brighton and Hove , The Federation of Small Businesses, London Road Local Action Team, traders and the council.
Michael Green, chief executive of the British Council of Shopping Centres, said: “This is a critical ongoing initiative for Britain and the city – a plan to revitalise communities and kick start economic growth.”
Comments(28)
Crystal Ball
says...
9:44am Wed 25 Jul 12
mimseycal
says...
9:47am Wed 25 Jul 12
Indigatio
says...
9:47am Wed 25 Jul 12
We're up here
says...
9:53am Wed 25 Jul 12
ray ellerton
says...
9:53am Wed 25 Jul 12
MikeyA
says...
10:29am Wed 25 Jul 12
menowhere
says...
10:58am Wed 25 Jul 12
MikeyA wrote:brilliant. that is the answer they have all been missing! a cycle lane will promote safer traveling to and from london road. you sir are a genius! who needs porta anyway.
What - no cycle lane?
on a more positive note....100 grand is 100 grand ;)
Brian Snow
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11:58am Wed 25 Jul 12
John Fallon
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12:18pm Wed 25 Jul 12
Jeffery687
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12:53pm Wed 25 Jul 12
bruce_
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12:57pm Wed 25 Jul 12
My only fear is that "the Portas team" may eventually introduce some kind of Westfield super-mall -- MP is said to be heavily involved in the Hammersmith one, and perhaps others.
The Real Phil
says...
2:34pm Wed 25 Jul 12
Crystal Ball wrote:It should just about cover any consultancy fees
£100k will not stretch that far.
calro75
says...
3:50pm Wed 25 Jul 12
1. After a rent reduction and you're comfortable for 6 months or so then you start getting whacked with the full rent.
2. The business rates are extortionate and the council will be doing zilch to help the situation. E.G. you'll have to pay for your own rubbish to be taken away.
3. The government i.e the tax man will be waiting to take 40% of your earnings.
4. People will be put off because of the parking anyway.
5. Running your own business in this economic climate means very long hours and no family life. If you don't mind of course!
6. When the big supermarkets are cheaper than the cash and carrys, you know it's going to be even harder.
So basically if business people are tempted to go to this area and open a shop or other kind of business frankly i'd say don't bother you'll end up disappointed. I have a business less than half a mile from this area and to be honest it was the biggest mistake ever. This country does not support small business whatever the politicians, councils or media might have you believe!
TheGalleryIndeed
says...
4:41pm Wed 25 Jul 12
www.facebook.com/The
GalleryIndeed
Twitter: @GalleryIndeed
Come join us...make it happen.
The Heretic
says...
7:56pm Wed 25 Jul 12
Footfall in London Road is only likely to be increased at the expense of other areas of the city, and thats always assuming that an extremely busy main artery, with all the attendant safety and pollution issues can be rendered more attractive to shoppers.
The biggest issues are to either get more residents out shopping locally or more folk coming to town from outside, trouble is there's a recession on and for most of us, it's essentials only at the moment.
All that said, I earnestly hope Mary Portas can counfound us critics. I'd love to be proved wrong on this one,
Maxwell's Ghost
says...
10:14pm Wed 25 Jul 12
Move them out of residential streets where families live and put them all together with shops and bars.
They can save money using the numerous charity shops, the cheap booze outlets, the lidl and the pound stretcher.
It's perfect then those of us with families can sleep at night.
It's simple.
wildboi83
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10:15pm Wed 25 Jul 12
I personally think the days of this road being crambed with tacky shops, rubbish supermarkets could finally be over.
New businesses should be on London road, maybe people bid for them.
reeter
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5:46am Thu 26 Jul 12
toldsloth
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11:55am Thu 26 Jul 12
When will people stop the idiocy of "Art Gallery" nonsense - it brings NOTHING to an area and does not support local traders whatsoever.
The place should be bulldozed
george smith
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7:11am Fri 27 Jul 12
reddogs
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12:35pm Fri 27 Jul 12
NickBrt
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5:00pm Fri 27 Jul 12
steveP2009
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6:15pm Fri 27 Jul 12
Hove Actually
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10:04pm Fri 27 Jul 12
steveP2009 wrote:Where the flip are 30000 students getting £100 per week from? me thinks you've gone and put your decimal point in the wrong place and that should be £10
30,000 students in Brighton. Each spend £100 per week. Do the maths. I'm sick of people taking a pop at students. It is the last time to enjoy yourself before getting a career. So why not make the most of it and learn at the same time. Most students graduate become in high paid jobs and pax tax just as you do.
mimseycal
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11:15pm Fri 27 Jul 12
reeter
says...
6:21am Sat 28 Jul 12
Dirk Von Roden
says...
3:33am Sun 29 Jul 12
Morpheus says...
9:36am Wed 25 Jul 12