Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration

The report provides an update on the Stockport Portas Pilot initiative and the Stockport Town Centre Business and Retail Forum.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to note the report.

Officer Contact: Nicola Turner on 0161 218 1635 or email: nicola.turner@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on the Stockport Portas Pilot initiative and the Stockport Town Centre Business and Retail Forum.

The Executive Councillor (Economic Development and Regeneration) (Councillor Iain Roberts) attended the meeting to respond to Members’ questions.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         The attempts being made to attract residents into the ‘old town’ of Stockport on Sunday afternoons through events such as the Vintage Market and the Teenage Market, and the attempts to improve the night time economy through initiatives such as ‘Foodie Friday’ were supported.

·         The Portas Pilot would not change people’s shopping patterns. The growth of the internet and out of town shopping centres, for example, had meant that the situation was very different than in past years  when the footfall in Stockport Market had been significantly higher.

·         The membership of the Portas Pilot Project Delivery Group had changed significantly since it was originally established.

·         There was no time limit for the Portas Pilot Project Delivery Group to spend the budgets allocated to the group.

·         The variety of organisations who had been funded by the Portas Pilot Project Delivery Group was supported.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.