Council awarded £100,000 to tackle empty shops
Reigate & Banstead Borough Council has been awarded £100,000 by the government to help bring empty high street properties back into use.
The borough is one of a hundred in the country to share the £10 million High Street Innovation Fund, which was unveiled by Housing and Local Government Minister Grant Shapps, on Friday 30 March 2012.
The fund was set up as part of the government’s ‘Portas-Plus’ package, in response to the report by “Queen Of Shops” Mary Portas on reinvigorating the country’s struggling high streets.
High streets boost
Cllr Mrs Joan Spiers, Council Leader, said: “We are really pleased hear that we will be receiving this funding to help boost our high streets.
“We are already doing a number of the things suggested in the Portas Review, like working with businesses to help our borough prosper and working to create a more vibrant daytime and evening economy through our regeneration work in Redhill and Horley.
“We will now be looking at how we can best use this funding, working with landlords, traders and our partners to bring about improvements.”
Portas Plus
Grant Shapps said the government was accepting “virtually all” of the report’s recommendations, which also includes a National Markets Day in June.
For more information see Grant Shapps offers 'Portas-Plus' plan to revive ailing high streets (DCLG website)
Last updated : 04/04/2012
