Traders opting for Portas pilot push
HARBOROUGH’S bid to become a Portas pilot town has been given the green light following a meeting of town businesses.
At the meeting, which took place at The Angel Hotel in Harborough on Thursday night last week, representatives from about 20 different organisations voted to proceed with an application for the scheme – set up by shopping guru Mary Portas and the Government in order to revive interest in Britain’s ailing high streets.
Duncan Murray, of Duncan Murray Wines in Adam & Eve Street, chaired the meeting.
He said: “It seems to have generated a lot of ideas which, for me, was really good because last week I wasn’t sure whether it was going to be a go-er.
“It’s actually been quite exciting and the passion in the room was really intense – we’ve got a really good mixture of businesses involved.
“We have every hope of actually being able to fulfil it.”
It is thought about 300 towns up and down the country will apply for the scheme, which will see the winners receive cash grants to improve their high streets and advice from Portas.
Mr Murray is to narrate a three-minute video which will be submitted as part of Harborough’s bid.
He added: “I’m quite looking forward to it because I really like Harborough – if you drive through, it looks brilliant. It’s a classic market town and we just need to promote that even more.
“Harborough is a great place to live but there are things which could really benefit from improvement.”
The next meeting to discuss the Portas bid is being held at The Angel Hotel at 6pm tonight (Thursday), while a further meeting to finalise the bid will then be held on Tuesday, March 27, at 5.30pm, also at The Angel. All are welcome.
The successful bidders should be announced by May but it could be June due to an expected large number of bids.
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Weather for Market Harborough
Saturday 25 May 2013
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 6 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 6 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North west
