Rob Wilson, MP for Reading East, has submitted applications to the Department for Communities and Local Government for Reading and Woodley to become ‘Town Team Partners’. The move, which follows the unsuccessful bids for the Portas Pilots scheme earlier this year, means Reading and Woodley could both clinch £10,000 from the Government to spend on their original proposals in the bid.
Under the scheme, announced late last month by former housing minister Grant Shapps, Town Team Partner status brings a package of support including an un-ringfenced grant of £10,000 and access to town centre specialists in the Association of Town Centre Management.
The applications could add to the list of investment improvements Rob has brought to Reading, totalling over £1.4billion since 2005, made up of the £895million Reading Station revamp, the £500million direct rail link to London Heathrow Airport and the £10million Reading University Technical college due to open in September next year.
Commenting Rob said: “This initiative from the Government presents Reading and Woodley with a great chance to lay their hands on money to improve our shopping centres and to implement part or parts of their Portas Pilot applications. But it’s not just cash that’s on offer, as Town Team Partner status unlocks support in other ways too for example, access to specialist support.
“I want to see our shopping centres thrive and unlocking the expertise of the Association of Town Centre Management can help achieve this as well as implementing aspects of the original Portas bids. As soon as I hear further I will update local people.”
For more information on Town Team Partners see:http://www.communities.gov.uk/regeneration/economicgrowth/highstreetsportas/townteampartners/
The applications are as follows: -
· Reading is bidding for the £10,000 fund to implement the original Portas Pilot bid to include a Service Co-ordinator role, with funds mingled with the High Street Innovation Fund. The post will help key stakeholders in business development and improvement work together better.
· In Woodley, the application focuses on the £10,000 as a ‘seed fund’ for new events and initiatives to increase its vibrancy as a market town attractive to families and to develop an “evening economy”. Woodley also wants to increase its linkage with new initiatives designed to promote enterprise and people starting up their own business.