Town is still hopeful for Portas Pilot centre cash (From Ledbury Reporter)

Town is still hopeful for Portas Pilot centre cash

9:00am Monday 4th June 2012 in News

LEDBURY has failed to win funding for town centre regeneration, in the first round of bids under the national Portas Pilots scheme.

In fact, there were no winners at all from Worcestershire or Herefordshire, although communities in Ledbury, Worcester, Malvern, Tenbury and Evesham were among 370 applicants vying to be one of 12 towns to receive a slice of £1.2 million and a tailored package of support from both the local Government minister Grant Shapps and retail guru Mary Portas.

Homend trader Annette Crowe, a member of Ledbury’s Portas bid group, said: “Now we are keeping our fingers crossed for the next round. We do have shops closed in Ledbury, and this is just about keeping on top of the game. Everyone is feeling the recession.

“Any help for a small market town would be hugely desirable.”

The winning bids came from Bedford, Croydon, Dartford, Bedminster, Liskeard, Margate, Market Rasen, Nelson, Newbiggin by the Sea, Stockport, Stockton on Tees and Wolverhampton.

Towns that missed out first time round will have another bite of the cherry.

A second round of the competition for an additional 15 pilots will be announced by the end of July.

There is no need for unsuccessful applicants to reapply, but they can adjust their bids if they wish to and submit them again by Saturday, June 30.

Mrs Crowe, chairman of the Ledbury Traders’ Association, said it was now up to the group to decide whether or not to tweak Ledbury’s bid for the second round.

But she said that any feedback from the Portas Pilot judges, as to why Ledbury wasn’t picked in the first round would be welcome and helpful.