Suburbs awarded £150k each for high streets

Manchester City Council is to make available £300,000 to tackle empty shops and improve high streets in two parts of the city.

Partnerships in Levenshulme and Cheetham Hill town centres will each receive £50,000 from the local authority to boost their high streets and continue work that from their failed Portas Pilot applications.A further £100,000 will also be injected from the Government's Innovation Fund, matched by a further £100,000 from Manchester City Council to tackle empty shops.

Cheetham Hill will create a trader's association to tap into local enthusiasm for the future of their high street, allowing traders and residents to have more influence over the area.

There will be a 'Unique Cheetham Hill' marketing and signage strategy to attract visitors to experience the diverse cultures that the high street offers and create a destination that reflects the varied backgrounds of local traders.

In Levenshulme, the partnership will use the fund to promote local retail hidden gems. This includes nurturing small business that all offer unique selling points to the area and building on the growing success of Levenshulme Market.

Levenshulme support group, Bubble Enterprises, are already operating an Enterprise Engagement Programme for people interested in self-employment and 10 start-up businesses have successfully completed a Market Trading Course that will give them the skills to trade independently for the first time.