£250,000 to boost trade in Kidderminster, Bewdley and Stourport

A £250,000 town centre support fund has been set up to help boost trade in Kidderminster, Bewdley and Stourport by giving each of the areas a facelift.

It is hoped the move will help attract more retailers to start up businesses. Council bosses also want to encourage more shoppers into the three towns.

Leader of Wyre Forest District Council John Campion said the £250,000, which is coming from the council's coffers after it made savings of more than £800,000, would complement work already taking place to boost trade.

Mr Campion said: "The aim is to bring more businesses into the town centres and to improve the look of them to entice new traders in.

"This is an excellent position to be in and will be of real benefit to the area."

The money has been allocated from the council's savings and fund was backed by the cabinet at a meeting last night.

Members also agreed to contribute £50,000 towards design costs for the redevelopment of St George's Hall, in Bewdley.

The council made savings of more than £800,000 over the last financial year.

A provisional final account for 2011/12 shows a surplus of £808,590 which will be partially used by the authority to boost development projects in the district.

The majority of the cash, £407,590 will now be placed in the council's financial strategy as part of the 2013/16 budget process.

But members agreed £100,000 of the surplus would be used to top up a £700,000 fund for one-off costs for the Wyre Forest Forward scheme.

This aims to develop new and more efficient working practices for the authority.

Cabinet member for resources Councillor Nathan Desmond said: "This provisional outturn shows savings of more than £800,000 which shows how effectively our funds have been managed.

"In a difficult economic context where we are not sure of what government grant we will be getting this will be of enormous benefit."

By Heather Large