A helping hand for Middleton and Belle Isle trading areas has arrived thanks to a new alliance of traders and local stakeholders.
Councillors Kim Groves, Judith Blake and Paul Truswell (Labour, Middleton Park) have worked with local businesses and stakeholders to form the Middleton Town Team.
Big and small businesses, the general public, property owners and the Council have come together to pool resources to fund improvements to the Middleton District Shopping Centre in order to attract new businesses and customers. It is hoped that this will help to create local jobs for the residents of Middleton and improve the economy of the area. The group have begun to apply for grants to fund the improvements.
Councillors have been working hard with the Town Team to expand their remit so they can work with other businesses and shopping centres throughout Belle Isle and Middleton. Young people are also helping out and have been asked to offer their ideas about what the younger generations want from their shopping venues.
The Councillors believe that the Team will help to improve local shopping and help give the spark that is needed to boost the local economy.
[The picture shows from left to right: LCC Deputy Leader Cllr Judith Blake, Cllr Kim Groves, Samaira Arshad (Topstyle) Sarah Egan & Lisa Crossley (Wynsors World of Shoes) & Phil Barr (Town Team Chair)]
Councillor Kim Groves (Founding Member of Middleton Town Team) said:
“Middleton Town Team is a fantastic idea and demonstrates the importance of businesses and stakeholders supporting each other to improve the local economy and enhance the shopping experience.
“In these difficult times it is important that we do all we can to help struggling businesses so we avoid an increase in empty shop units, which costs jobs and pushes shoppers towards the big out-of-town complexes. By working together the Town Team will be able to attract investment to improve Middleton District Shopping Centre and other local shopping venues.”
Phil Barr (Town Team Chair and Regional Manager for The Co-operative Funeralcare) said:
“The team has been formed to improve the neighbourhood shopping centres for the benefit of stakeholders such as the general public, property owners, small shops, supermarket giants, other businesses and the Council. The group aims to hear viewpoints from the private and public sectors and develop ways for best delivery of improvements.
We are currently seeking support from interested parties and anyone reading this article is welcome to contact me to ensure their views are taken into consideration. ”
Phil can be contacted at phil.barr@coop.co.uk.
Hopefully this will enhance the shopping experience, especially when the new Asda open.
Re post?
Do they think sticking up some pointless boards are going to help? I notice ‘they’ don’t take a picture on the one covered with milkshake. Who owns the district centre (side note what a terrible name – St George’s or Middleton Park would be better), if it’s the council you should’ve been looking after it better – cleaning, planting, resurface, new entrances etc. If it is private let them do it. I can only see one empty unit, that doesn’t seem too bad. If the shops there want to attract more custom then should raise their game and products they sell. I’ve heard one shop worker swearing. Not what I expect when people are after my cash. Can’t wait for Starbucks to move in!
I can’t see us getting a Starbucks (more the pity), but I agree with much of what you said. If the owners bothered to fix the road surface or advertised better, then the precinct might do better anyway.
I live and have a business in Middleton and I have heard nothing about this.
I rarely see empty units down there and can’t understand why a committee is necessary to decide what is needed.
You should be more concerned with Middleton Park Circus and the amount of empty shop premises there, and making sure that more take-aways don’t spring up in the place of daytime businesses.
Footfall on the Circus is diminishing weekly, especially since the bank closed, and it will be a shame if we can’t entice a business that will enhance the daytime trade of other shopkeepers. Time to get your priorities straight, or are our businesses too small to care about?