Funding earmarked for Tameside town centres post-pandemic

Friday, 6 August 2021 10:29

Tameside Council’s executive cabinet has signed off on plans to use £200,000 of government funding aimed at helping local town centres adapt to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Welcome Back Fund (WBF) is the second phase of the Reopening the High Street Safely Funding (RHSSF), announced on March 20.

The funding is designed to help councils boost tourism, improve green spaces, provide more temporary outdoor seating areas, test events, markets and pop-up food stalls. The funding will close in March 2022.

Potential activities could include publicity campaigns for street-food markets, temporary pop-up food markets, improving green space and seating areas and beautification of the town centres.

All of the activity has to be approved by government office and needs to fit in with the eligibility criteria set out in national guidance.

Cllr Oliver Ryan, Tameside Council executive member for Finance and Economic Growth, said: “Through the Welcome Back Fund we’ll follow on from the progress we’ve made supporting our town centres in Ashton, Denton, Stalybridge, Hyde, Droylsden and Mossley with the Reopening the High Street Safely Funding. By providing safer and more attractive spaces for shoppers to visit this will help to support our local businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic.

“Thanks to events like Foodie Friday, visitors are coming back to our town centres and I encourage people to make the most of the local economy.”