Launch of Great Britain high street competition 2015
THE Government has launched the
2nd 'Great British High Street' competition giving Towns and Cities the
opportunity to win a share of £50,000.
High Streets Minister Penny Mordaunt called on communities across the country to
enter the competition and celebrate their success in transforming Towns and
Cities into great places to shop and socialise.
The 1st 'Great British High Street' competition last year saw 135 communities
battle it out to be crowned the nation's best. Belper in Derbyshire emerged as
the overall winner.
Penny Mordaunt said she wanted to see even more entries this year with
communities for the first time having the chance to vote directly for their best
loved high street. "High streets are a vital part of our economy
supporting thousands of jobs in retail and leisure but they are also the heart
of all communities providing a great place for friends and family to meet.
There is so much amazing innovation happening on our high streets. We want to
reward the great work that is being done to improve these crucial assets as well
as showcase ideas which can be a springboard for others to try. The first
competition last year was a tremendous success and I want this year to be even
better."
The competition is designed to help revitalise high streets by promoting the
great work that is being done and sharing good ideas across the country.
As well as the cash prize, winners will also receive dedicated support and
mentoring from industry experts which could range from one to one coaching to
advice on digital marketing.
The competition categories are:-
► Best city centre high street.
► Best town centre high street.
► Best market town high street.
► Best coastal community high street.
► Best village high street.
► Best parade of shops.
► Best London high street.
The nominations will come from throughout the UK and a shortlist will be
announced in early August. Those shortlisted will be visited by the Future High
Streets Forum judging panel made up of industry leaders from across retail,
property and business. Residents will be able to vote online when shortlisted
candidates are announced.
The Government is committed to reviving the country's high streets as part of
its long term economic plan and is supporting local shops and businesses with a
billion pound package of investment that includes targeted business rate
discounts and sensible planning changes.
In addition, the Government last week gave the green light for the introduction
of 10 minute parking grace period to make parking in Town Centres easier. The
parking measures are a victory for drivers and 1 of a number of initiatives
brought in by the government to give local shops a fairer deal.
Joanne Bamford, Belper Town Team and Great British High Street Competition
Winner and Overall Champion said:- "Winning the Great British High Street
has been a wonderful boost to the town, stimulating interest and encouraging new
partners to work with us. Local residents are more aware of how special their
town is and the publicity has encouraged visitors from neighbouring areas to
make a trip to see what the town has to offer. On the back of the competition we
have received enquiries from new retailers considering expanding into the town,
prospective residents looking to relocate and looking for a town with a real
identity to coach companies planning to visit the area. The award has provided
us with a wonderful platform to promote our town and the innovative projects
delivered by the partners. It has also generated a number of new ideas which we
hope to implement to allow the town to continue to improve and build on the
success. We would really encourage villages, town and high streets to get
involved in the 2015 competition."
A renewed focus on our high streets has led to a revival in many areas across
the UK with latest figures showing that year on year average weekly retail sales
increased by 4.8% in January 2015.
This was the 23rd consecutive month of retail sales growth and the longest
period of sustained year on year growth since May 2008. Overall vacancy rates
are now at their lowest level since 2010 and reoccupation rates for the high
street are much higher, at 70%, than they are for shopping centres or retail
parks.
Details of how to enter the competition can be found at:-
TheGreatBritishHighStreet.Co.UK. The deadline for entries is
Friday, 17 July 2015.
Further Information
The national competition is being run by the Future High Streets Forum. Last
year's winners were:-
► City category – Norwich Lanes.
► Coastal category – Colwyn Bay, Wales.
► Market Town – Belper, Derbyshire (also chosen as overall high street champion).
► Local Centre – Barnoldswick, Lancashire.
► Village Category – Broxburn, West Lothian, Scotland.
► Town Centre – Wantage, Oxfordshire.
► London – Kingston.
