Trafford Council’s continued investment in its town centres has seen vacancy rates drop as new businesses move in.
With £3m invested in major public realm improvement works across Trafford so far, strong partnership working and £220,000 paid out in interest free town centre loans to businesses, vacancy rates have dropped across the borough’s town centres.
Trafford Council Leader, Cllr Sean Anstee, said Trafford Council is committed to providing support, improve local environments and assist new and existing businesses to keep town centres’ prosperous, thriving and exciting areas.
“These results show continued investment which improves the infrastructure and look of a town centre will attract businesses from across the retail and leisure spectrum, creating areas that residents and visitors will want to visit.
“One of our key focuses has been to reduce and reverse the number of vacant business premises in these areas. Not only are we achieving this but doing so in a way that has bucked the North West trend. We have seen 24 new businesses occupying previously empty premises; this not only improves the appeal of our town centres but has brought in around £900,000 investment from the private sector and created nearly 90 jobs.
“And we will continue this work by developing current schemes and introducing new ones. We will work closely with our partners in committing to provide ongoing support and assistance to keep our town centres as key thriving retail, leisure and residential hubs for residents and visitors.”
Average town centre shop vacancy rates have reduced significantly from 15.7 per cent in 2015, to the current 12.5 per cent level. This is not only positive for the area, but is considerably lower than the 16.1 per cent North West average.
The current vacancy rates (June 2015 rates in brackets) are: Altrincham, 14.3 per cent (17 per cent), Sale, 6.8 per cent (11.6 per cent), Stretford, 28.1 per cent (33.8 per cent), Urmston, 5.7 per cent (6.6 per cent), Partington 0 (n/a in 2015 as shopping centre was being rebuilt).
The Council has invested in a Town Centres Team, dedicated to spend time in each centre to help focus on improvements and partnership working. Through this work the town centres are increasingly offering visitors and residents more variety of retail and leisure businesses. They are becoming areas where people choose to spend more time.
In Stretford, thanks to the Council’s 10 year Stretford Masterplan, there has been improvement in the area surrounding Stretford Mall, with the Stretford Working Group and Panel overseeing its delivery. The latest discussions have focused on the detailed design works for the first phase of the public realm scheme, together with the Stretford Delivery Plan for 2016/2017. Key new businesses, including Costa Coffee, an Aldi supermarket, JD Sports and a new dance studio, have invested in Stretford.
A Stretford business also benefited from the Council’s Trafford Town Centre Loan Scheme Flexi-Minder, a childcare business located on Chester Rd. Run by Haylea Osborne who set up the childminding business after becoming a parent herself. Flexi-Minder is parent and child friendly, providing care on a ‘Pay as You Go’ basis. The expansion of the business was funded through the Trafford Town Centre Loan Scheme and a government start-up loan. Flexi-minder now has a team of staff and three apprentices and has been running in its new location since December 2015.
Haylea said, “If I hadn’t seen the advert for the loan scheme I wouldn’t have a business. The loan, along with support from Stretford Mall, allowed me access to prime retail space that wouldn’t have been an option without Trafford’s support.”
Sale Town Centres Team is currently developing its strategic plan area which includes updating, the existing Sale Improvement Plan. Focusing on the next five years, it will help the Council and its partners regenerate the area, improve its attractiveness, boost its prosperity and ensure it remains a vibrant, safe area where people want to visit. With The Waterside Arts Centre at its heart, a number of new potential development sites being considered and the continuing drop in retail vacancy rates, the future focus will be on the quality and mix of the retail offer and improvements to the A56 corridor route running across the Borough.
Key to these efforts is the continuing discussion with the owners of The Square Shopping Centre and their plans for residential, retail and commercial use on the site.
The Home Design Centre is a new business which has just opened on Ashfield Road in Sale. Run by Chris and Chloe Maxwell, it builds on Chris’ expertise as a Joiner. It also links to their successful building company of many years; registered with The Guild of Master Craftsmen.
The showroom, located in Sale Town Centre, offers customers a central location to view the products on offer. Coupled with late night opening on a Thursday the Home Design Centre enables customers to meet with Chloe or Chris to discuss the possibilities available for their property development and access their free design service.
A Trafford Council Town Centre Loan was used start the business. Chloe said, “If it wasn’t for the loan scheme we would not have been able to launch this showroom in Sale Town Centre. This loan scheme, along with savings, supported us with all the high initial costs of launching the showroom and supporting the business during its launch stage. I found the scheme to be really simple, helpful and supportive and would recommend anyone launching a new business to enquire.”
The multi million pound private and public sector investment in Altrincham continues. Construction is due to start on the iconic Altair development later this year. This will not only bring high quality, contemporary spaces boost the retail and leisure offer in the town centre, but also modern new homes and office spaces. The Council is continuing its £3m investment, with funding from both the Council and its partners, to improve the look and feel of the public realm which will introduce new road and pavement layouts, planting and street furniture. This links in with the additional work underway at the modernised Altrincham Interchange transport hub.
All of this work will be aided by the creation, following the vote by Altrincham town centre businesses, of a new Business Improvement District (BID). With a new BID Manager in place there will be a focus on ratifying the BID Board, advisory groups and sharing its formal establishments with all BID area businesses.
With an exciting refurbishment underway at the Stamford Quarter, a planned new Health and Wellbeing Centre on the former old hospital site, several planning applications in the pipeline for building conversions and redevelopment, there is a real buzz and enthusiasm around the town centre.
Through the BID, an annual events calendar is currently being worked on. This will focus on an exciting Summer Music Festival and Christmas activities.
With Partington’s shopping centre proving an attractive and popular boost to the area, further environmental works are underway. These have benefited from a £20,000 Town Centres Improvement Fund grant and include tree planting, new litter bins and refurbishing the town park benches. To further compliment the area, plants have been bought for the Parish Council to plan and a ‘Welcome to Partington’ sign designed.
Having purchased the former Co-op site, the Council is currently working on plans to use this for modern residential properties.
Cllr John Reilly, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Economic Growth, Environment and Infrastructure, Said: “Trafford Council is working with local businesses and groups to put in place schemes and projects that will continue to improve our town centres. We are already seeing these improvements bring new investment into these areas and this will continue to grow as we listen to what is needed, act upon these needs and invest both Council and external funds into the heart of our communities.”
