Mary Portas' £800k boost to help fill empty shops

Eight West Midland towns, districts and cities have been given £100,000 each to help revive their high streets by TV retail guru Mary Portas.

Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Cannock Chase, Dudley, Lichfield, Sandwell, Walsall and Wyre Forest received the funding from the £10 million High Street Innovation Fund.

The money is to help fill empty shops. Wolverhampton, West Bromwich, Bearwood, Walsall and Dudley are also vying to become one of 12 areas chosen for additional help.

More than one in four shops are vacant in Wolverhampton while Dudley has the largest number of empty shops in the country for a medium sized town.

The vacancy rate of just 12 per cent in Cannock compares relatively well and council leader George Adamson was taken aback to receive cash.

"We were surprised to win the grant as we've not been as badly affected as other places but we're certainly not turning it down," he said.

Kim Gilmour, director of Wolverhampton city centre company WV One, said: "This is great news on the back of us making what we think is a professional and innovative bid to be a Portas Pilot, it means that Wolverhampton can make a start on filling empty shops.

"This fund is also designed to encourage new businesses to set up longer term which is something we welcome."

Wolverhampton wants to become one of Ms Portas's pilot areas which will trial new town teams and the return of a market day.

A Dragons' Den style competition called the Wolf's Lair will support young entrepreneurs. Winners would receive financial assistance along with retail training and mentoring.

A showcase shop would enable finalists, students and social enterprises to sell their products and modern day town criers will take to the streets with artists, musical theatre and storytellers.