Midlands town centres miss out on Portas boost
Town centres in the West Midlands were left disappointed again today after missing out on backing from the government.
Town centres in the West Midlands were left disappointed again today after missing out on backing from the government.
Another 15 town centres across the UK are to be given extra cash for regeneration projects following a review by retail queen Mary Portas, local government minister Grant Shapps said today.
The second wave of "Portas pilots" will entitle the beneficiaries to £100,000 each to help improve their town centres.
In the first wave, announced in May, Wolverhampton was chosen to host one of the schemes. But Dudley, Walsall, Bearwood and West Bromwich all missed out.
All four have had their applications turned down again, as has Bilston, which had applied for the first time.
Sandwell Council leader Councillor Darren Cooper said: "The Portas pilot was a bit of a gimmick and there wasn't much money associated with it. In West Bromwich we've already been working with big companies like BT and Tesco."
Wolverhampton regeneration chief Councillor Peter Bilson added: "It is a disappointment that Bilston was not selected but we have already been working on the development of the town centre and have our own big plans for it."
Walsall Council is going ahead with a night time market despite losing out on the Portas pilot funding.
New traders in Cannock, Rugeley and Hednesford will get cheaper business rates after council bosses were awarded £100,000 from a separate pot of funding.
Mr Shapps said: "I'd like to congratulate the 15 town teams that, in the face of stiff competition, have been selected to be the next Portas Pilots." The 15 new pilot areas are: Ashford, Berwick, Braintree, Brighton, Hatfield, Royal Leamington Spa, Liverpool, the Waterloo area of central London, Forest Hill in south London, Tower Hamlets, Loughborough, Lowestoft, Morecambe, Rotherham and Tiverton.
Shadow planning minister Roberta Blackman-Woods said: "There are now a record 23,406 empty shops in town centres alone but ministers are still failing to grasp the seriousness of the situation.
"This Government's failed economic policy and double-dip recession made in Downing Street is clearly damaging high streets across the country and short-term schemes like this will not be enough to save them."
