£10,000 retail revival grant for Burnham (From Burnham and Highbridge Weekly News)

£10,000 retail revival grant for Burnham

11:10am Friday 2nd November 2012 in News By Matthew Colledge

A GROUP working to improve the fortunes of retailers has won a cash grant.

The Burnham Town Team has been given Town Team Partner status by the Government – entitling it to a £10,000 grant and help from retail experts from across the country to implement plans to revitalise the town centre.

These include: a range of events promoting Burnham retailers, including a Christmas ‘shop crawl’, a High Street ‘on tour’ next spring, and a series of Sandy Sunday events in 2013; more late night store opening initiatives, in partnership with Burnham Chamber of Trade; and the removal of barriers to on-street trading and bylaws which prevent street busking.

The Town Team also wants to work with BIARS – Burnham Information and Rescue Support – to put on more live events.

Beverley Milner Simonds, from the Town Team, said: “The faith shown by Government in the Town Team concept and teams like ours is heartening.

“We have worked really hard to formulate realistic plans and are now energised that some of the plans suggested by residents earlier in the year will now be able to get off the ground.

“The plans highlight again the need for a single point of responsibility and accountability for delivery in the town - a town centre manager tasked with the project and stakeholder management, design and successful delivery of a range of business, resident and visitor focused capital and revenue projects.

“It is going to be hard relying so much on the good will of volunteers to get things done - but we will be pressing on with these ideas."

Burnham Chamber of Trade said it was looking forward to working with the Town Team on initiatives to boost businesses and improve the shopping experience in Burnham.

MP Tessa Munt said the Town Team Partner status was a well-deserved boost for the Burnham group, which she said was “a great example of localism in action.”

The next Town Team meeting is on Tuesday (November 6) at 6.30pm, in The Care Centre, in College Street.