Town centre toolkit to help the high street

This article is provided courtesy of the news feed at http://www.newstartmag.co.uk/news

The Association of Town Centre Management (ATCM) has joined forces with the Improvement and Development Agency and the National Skills Academy for Retail to search for scores of schemes that will help steer high streets back onto the road to recovery.

The 100 most effective initiatives will be compiled into an online report ‘toolkit’, which will also be made available to town centre managers, local authority economic development officers, the retail industry, RDAs, Chambers of Commerce and policymakers.

Retail analysts Experian estimate 15% of stores will be vacant by the end of this year, meaning poor prospects for property owners, the remaining traders, customers and the employment market.

The high street has been in a ‘fight for survival for years’, according to the ATCM, battling the twin threats of internet shopping and out-of-town developments prior to the negative impact of recession.

But it has demonstrated its resilience and remained ‘the focal point for many communities’.

The association now wants to ensure the voices of town centre managers, local government, businesses and community members are all heard nationally via the toolkit.

Tried, tested and practical suggestions are being invited and can be submitted at www.atcm.org/latest-projects/index.php.

The survey will close on Friday 8 January 2010.