Portas Pilots update...

Whilst I still think we could never get everyone needed around a table for Bedlington to become a Portas Pilot I have been keeping my eyes on developments with the "˜Portas Pilots' where 12 Towns are going to be given £100K to help regenerate their high streets. There are some interesting developments in the Governmental response to this initiative. Grant Shapps, the Minister for Housing and Local Government, has now issued the government's formal response to the Portas High Street Review. In it there is a lot of talk about bureaucracy-busting measures, entrepreneurial inducements and a wide range of new incentives all aimed at helping our high streets compete and be sustainable.

The main thrust is to get a team of local people and organisations together and make what they are calling a "˜Town Team' which is then supposed to mould and fashion any regeneration efforts towards a local resolution.

It would seem blindingly obvious that our high streets are going to fundamentally change over the next few years, it could be worth grabbing this initiative now to shape that change into something we can all use and benefit by?

Some of the "˜new' help available is:

• A multi-million pound High Street Innovation Fund.
  
• A £1 million Future High Street X-Fund.
  
• A National Markets Day, launching a National Markets Fortnight.
  
• A £500,000 fund for Business Improvement Districts.
  
• Doubling the number of Portas Pilots.
  

Shapps is adding his own twist as well introducing what is called the 'Portas-Plus' deal which has "˜a range of measures designed to help local people turn their high streets into the beating hearts of their communities once again.'

One important detail I will reprint here is the possible moves on Business Rates.

"How they can work with councils to use the forthcoming new powers to offer local business rate discounts, and to ensure businesses are aware of the option to spread the payment of the retail price index increase in business rates bills over three years, giving them the flexibility to manage their bills and help their cash- flow. This is in addition to Small Business Rate Relief, which in England has been doubled for two and a half years, from 1 October 2010 to 31 March 2013."

He also confirmed the Government was accepting a number of other key recommendations to cut red tape and entice motorists into the town centres.

Looks like a step in the right direction but more of a temperature testing step rather than a full-on plunge!