News

£100,000 Bid To Transform Barnsley's Arcade

Monday July 2 2012

A £100,000 funding bid has been submitted to the government to transform Barnsley Arcade into a hub for independent shops.

The shops in and around the Victorian arcade - which include the George Yard area - are at the centre of a bid for the second round of funding from the Portas Pilot scheme, the brainchild of retail guru Mary Portas.

If the bid is successful, the cash would be used to attract new independent traders by offering lower cost shop units and creating a shared retail space where people can test out their business idea.

It would also go towards specialist markets with £10 stall fees and pay for street entertainers to encourage people to linger longer. The final plan would see improvements to the shop fronts and signage and a cheap unit for college students to sell their wares.

Council spokesman Coun Linda Burgess said: "This is an imaginative and carefully assembled bid which will re-energise The Lanes and George Yard as a dynamic and sustainable shopping area.

“We see this project as fundamental in developing a specialist, independent retail area which will complement the retail offer provided by some of the larger businesses in the central markets and pedestrian precinct areas.

“It’s a hidden treasure of the town, although in recent times it has suffered in the existing economic climate.”

Reply Posted by Tom on Monday July 2 2012 at 20:55

£10 stalls...

Cheapest ones are £5.40 at the minute. And they aren't used. £10 ain't cheap.

Go for £1 instead or ten bob (50p). Better to collect £1 than collect nothing.

Reply Posted by Angela Amber on Tuesday July 3 2012 at 13:25

anything that helps to re-generate Barnsley and helps retail shops and units to gain trade can only be a good thing ...so.fingers crossed.....lets get Barnsley Market into a bustling busy market like it used to be .....low rents for traders is the first step to get it up and running.....

Reply Posted by Zxninjaboy on Wednesday July 4 2012 at 07:32

Anything that involves a cash injection into our town can only be greeted with open arms!

Reply Posted by Zxninjaboy on Wednesday July 4 2012 at 07:32

Anything that involves a cash injection into our town can only be greeted with open arms!

Reply Posted by Copycatcostumes on Wednesday July 4 2012 at 10:44

We'd love to be based in the town centre and something like this excites us! :)

Reply Posted by Tom on Wednesday July 4 2012 at 21:19

Not necessarily.

The other place that got funding is having real problems! Landlords are trying to cash in, by upping rents for businesses. Say goodbye to your business as you can no longer afford the rent!

This is the same short sightedness as Barnsley council doing up empty properties for private landlords in Goldthorpe/Grimethorpe. It benefits only the property owners, resulting in higher rents and higher housing benefit bill, that will have to be met by taxpayer.

Force them to sell to young couples, don't bail them out!

If we let the banks go bust do you think they would still be ripping us off?

Now they expect ANOTHER BAILOUT.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/9317620/Landlords-in-Mary-Portas-town-cash-in.html

"The mayor of Liskeard in Cornwall said it was greedy and insensitive to attempt to force up property prices at a time when small retailers are already struggling to pay high rents.
Liskeard was one of 12 English towns named last month as the recipients of £100,000 to regenerate their tired high streets under a project fronted by Ms Portas, the television presenter and Government “High Street Tsar”.
Since the announcement, the sellers of two empty shops in the Cornish town that have been on the market for some time have increased the asking price for their properties, in one case from £275,000 to £300,000"

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