Stratford District bids for Portas grant

Stratford-on-Avon District Council together with Coventry University are bidding for a share of the £1 million government funded Portas Pilot project aimed at helping to support and grow the economies in towns and villages.  If successful, the funding will initially help to support  an E-Town Toolkit pilot in Bidford-on-Avon and Studley that could be rolled out to support other towns and larger villages across the District.

The District Council and Coventry University have submitted a bid to central Government that, if successful will enable the development of an E-Town Toolkit.  This innovative approach will help to support and grow the economies in the smaller towns and villages who often suffer from their proximity to major centres of activity in the District.

This innovative E-Town Toolkit is a technology mash up which will provide a 3D virtual market, a mobile platform and a community portal.  This will enable us to reach more potential visitors though: 

• Improved communications and marketing to prospective visitors, by using 'virtual markets' and improved web & mobile technologies to reach new target groups
• A business portal to help improve business information and communications by setting up a new business support portal for the district
• Better links between 'virtual and internet' activities, markets, events and networking.

Dave Webb, Head of Business, Housing & Revenues at Stratford District Council says: “We are very excited about this funding opportunity and if successful, the District Council is committed both to delivering this project and to ensuring we do all that we can to support, develop and sustain the High Streets of our towns and villages over the short and longer term."

Tim Luft, Director of the Serious Games Institute, Coventry University says: “The E-Town Toolkit brings to the forefront every day technologies which can add real value to our market towns and drive new footfall. The SGI are very positive about the opportunity to work with the District Council and partners across the District to bring the E-Town Toolkit to the public.  We believe our bid brings well focused innovative action that could be used not only to support our immediate communities and their economy, but will provide a proof of concept that could be rolled out nationally to support business economies in urban, coastal and rural communities."

Successful applicants will be notified in May.

The supporting DVD can be accessed on You Tube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMqW1lwAdhg

Twelve high streets across the country can bid for a share of the £1 million of government money.

The Department for Communities and Local Government has launched the 'Portas Pilot' competition as a way to test out recommendations made in the  'Mary Portas' High Streets Review, by providing an opportunity for local partnership to develop and share knowledge about the effectives of various options for High Street improvement.