No expenditure yet on Government funding for high streets

By timesecholife on in All News, Latest News

A council has stated that it is “spending time fully considering the wider impact of Covid-19 on our businesses and our towns” before it spends money which has been allocated by the Government to help re-open high streets.

A council has stated that it is “spending time fully considering the wider impact of Covid-19 on our businesses and our towns” before it spends money which has been allocated by the Government to help re-open high streets.

We reported last month that Staffordshire Moorlands District Council (SMDC) had been allocated £87,090 from the Government’s Re-opening High Streets Safely Fund for it’s High Streets – which includes Cheadle.

On June 15, councillor Sybil Ralphs, Leader of SMDC, said of the funding: “As the Covid-19 restrictions gradually ease and more and more shops, businesses and amenities make plans to re-open, this funding is to help us put in place measures to reassure people that they can return to work and do their shopping safely.

“This could include introducing measures such as new signs, street markings, widening pavements, one-way pedestrian systems and cycle lanes.

“We are working with the county council and a range of organisations and community groups across the Moorlands to pull together action plans for each of our town centres, including Cheadle, but it is too early to say which specific measures will be introduced at this stage.

“We will, of course, make people aware of the plans as soon as we can.”

The Times & Echo contacted SMDC this week for an update on the expenditure of the Re-opening High Streets Safely Fund for the Staffordshire Moorlands district, now that most businesses are back up and running again.

In response, Cllr Ralphs said: “We are working closely with our partners to make sure that this funding is used to best effect both in the shorter term as shops, businesses and amenities begin to re-open and in the longer term to support our regeneration objectives and ensure that we are creating the right environments for businesses to flourish.

“The funding isn’t limited to just physical measures, such as pavement widening or one-way pedestrian routes, but could include, for example, place marketing campaigns and looking at how we can support digital initiatives.”

Cllr Ralphs added: “It is important that we spend time now fully considering the wider impact of Covid-19 on our businesses and our towns, and the opportunities this opens up, before we agree the measures we want to implement.

“The time we invest in getting our proposals right now will hopefully pay dividends in the coming months and years.”

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