STOCKPORT’S TOWN TEAM VOTE FOR NEW STRUCTURE

Members of Stockport’s Town Team have voted for a new decision-making committee, which will manage the delivery of the town’s Portas Pilot projects.

Stockport was awarded £100,000 last year as part of its successful Portas Pilot bid. £100,000 was also contributed by the Government’s High Street Innovation Fund and a further £100,000 from the Council. The Town Team – made up of retailers, businesses, voluntary groups, market traders and residents – was created to generate ideas and shape the future of the town centre.

                    Mary Portas on a recent visit to Stockport with Stockport market traders

Following feedback from members, the Town Team was presented with a number of options and asked to vote for their preferred new structure.

The majority voted for the Town Team Committee to be re-formed to focus on delivering the Portas Pilot’s original priorities by allocating funding to relevant projects. Each of the following organisations will be invited to nominate one representative to join the Committee as a voting member:

• The Vintage Village

• National Market Traders’ Federation, Stockport Branch

• Screen Stockport

• Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Stockport Branch

• Stockport Plaza

• Manchester Metropolitan University

• The Teenage Market

• Stockport Historic Quarter Forum

Two independent voting members will also be elected by the wider Town Team and will serve a term of one year each. Stockport Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration will be a fixed, non-voting member. The Committee may also appoint additional non-voting members as appropriate.

Under the new formation, the wider Town Team will be re-formed as a consultative group with open membership and will meet 3-4 times per year.

Stockport’s Town Centre Business and Retail Forum will be re-established so that local businesses and employers can have a formal say in the management of the town centre and input into future regeneration strategy.

Councillor Iain Roberts, Executive Member for Economic Development and Regeneration at Stockport Council, said:
“I’d like to thank the original Committee and wider Town Team for all their hard work over the past year. They’ve shown real enthusiasm and commitment to making Stockport a better place, and they’ve achieved a lot. Just a few of their achievements include successful events in and around the market place, helping Stockport Plaza secure a digital projector, input into how to improve car parking and generally creating a buzz around the town centre.

“The new Committee will have a much more focussed remit – to deliver the projects set out in the original Portas Pilot and further establish the area around the market and Underbanks as a vibrant creative and cultural quarter. I’m sure the new Committee, the wider Town Team and the re-formed Retail and Business Forum will carry on the good work and continue improving Stockport for the benefit of visitors, residents and businesses.”

The Council will now set up an initial meeting of the new Committee and put the new plans in place for the wider Town Team and the Town Centre Business and Retail Forum.

For more information visit www.stockport.gov.uk/portaspilot