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New initiative to breathe life into town centre

Date published: 04 March 2010

Rochdale is blighted by empty commercial properties, but an innovative new initiative could help breathe new life into the town centre.

As part of the Meanwhile Project, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) have prepared a ‘meanwhile lease’ which facilitates the temporary use of empty shops by non-commercial occupiers who can contribute to town centre vitality but would otherwise be unable to afford normal commercial rents. This process will allow landlords and tenants to negotiate a lease easily and quickly.

Examples of organisations that may be eligible are: community groups, voluntary groups, community artists, information centres, musicians, artists, statutory organisations and community enterprises. The main requirement is that the organisation must bring something relevant and additional to Rochdale town centre.

Grant funding may be given to successful organisations for the following purposes:

Start-up costs
Costs towards decoration to make premises fit for purpose
Costs towards fit out of properties
Promotion/marketing of service/business
Service charge/Insurance charge to landlord

Rochdale Town Centre Management is implementing this project on behalf of Rochdale Borough Council.

Debbie O’Brien, Town Centre Manager, said: “This grant scheme will enable local Social Enterprise/Creative Industries, etc to show how they can add value and activity to Rochdale town centre. This initiative is a great opportunity to differentiate the high street and improve the appearance of the town centre.”

After discussing their ideas with Rochdale Town Centre Management, should an organisation be successfully shortlisted they will be required to provide further details

Support will be provided from various organisations throughout the process.

A panel, including representatives from Rochdale Town Centre Management, Rochdale Borough Council, Members and Rochdale Development Agency will decide on applications.

Grant funding for the initiative is limited and therefore innovative, creative applications will be looked at more favourably.

Potential applicants should register their interest my emailing Debbie@rochdaltcm.co.uk or phoning 926676 with a brief description of their organisation and proposed project.

Comments

Whereas I fully supportive of any intiative in to help our Town Centre, I can't help but ask what sort of timescale all this is going to take?

Other towns have been doing this for 12 months now. Why has it taken us so long? By the time this so called selection committee have made their decisions we will be out of recession. And you wouldn't trust the Town Centre Management lady to make it work.
Where is the marketing? Who is asking market stall holders to stay open after 3.30pm so free parking is useful? Who is asking every shop/market to open late on Thursday so that late night opening works? Where are the shopping centre events?

Initiatives like this are not a new venture for Rochdale, in days gone by this type of of thing was applied to industrial units and buildings. Any grant that was made to any organisation that moved to Rochdale, could have landscaping access gates painted but not reduced rent. The idea being that if the company decided move from Rochdale, they could not the move the grant work with them. If reduced rents are being offered it should be to all traders, not just in the town centre

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, intake of breath.
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, and I could benefit from such a scheme! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.

Not wishing to be negative but haven't we already got a plethora of this type of business in Rochdale?
This cannot replace real high street names that provide quality shopping which will attract outsiders to Rochdale.
A town centre full of second hand shops and charity shops or more bargain basement outlets, just what we need!