Telford & Wrekin Council’s Pride in Our High Street programme continues to revitalise high streets across the borough and support local businesses and communities.
A report presented to cabinet today highlighted the positive impact the programme continues to have in Telford and Wrekin, despite the challenges which many high streets are facing nationally.
The continuation of the programme was also approved with a further £1 million set aside to deliver it going forward.
Programme Success
Since Pride in Our High Street was launched in 2015, Telford & Wrekin Council has invested £7.6m into supporting high street businesses – highlighting their value to the local economy.
The programme has awarded 367 business grants, created 388 new jobs and helped 65 businesses to open in previously empty units.
Funding has included business start-up grants which help businesses to open on the high street and trial start-up grants which help businesses test out their business on the high street, often as pop up market stalls.
Telford and Wrekin continues to buck the trend for empty retail units with just 3.8% in the borough standing empty compared with 14% nationally.
Pride in Our High Street support for businesses has also previously included façade grants which has seen over 100 shop frontages improved across the borough to attract more footfall.
High Street Heroes winners
Earlier this week, 25 High Street Heroes winners for 2024 were announced in each borough town, recognising the positive impact businesses and business owners have had on their local high streets and within their wider communities.
Over 100 High Street Heroes awards have been awarded to businesses since Pride in Our High Street was launched.
The announcement of the winners coincides with Small Business Saturday on Saturday 7 December, a national campaign, which encourages people to support independent businesses and shop locally – in the run-up to Christmas and beyond.
Councillor Ollie Vickers (Lab), Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for the Economy, said: “Our Pride in Our High Street programme has helped to create vibrant and economically active high streets, making them better and more attractive places to visit and increasing footfall to our borough towns.
“The programme has helped to create almost 400 new jobs, giving people an opportunity to improve their economic wellbeing, as well as boosting wider communities across the borough.
“We are proud of what the programme has achieved to date and will continue to support local, independent businesses through the start-up and start-up trial grants we offer.”
