One year on...and did Portas 
choose wisely between Leamington and Warwick?

This time last year, the bid was chosen ahead of its neighbouring rival in Warwick.

A report, put before Leamington Town Council this week, highlights the progress made to transform the Old Town area into a vibrant and viable destination for businesses and the community since the money was won as part of the Government regeneration scheme last July.

The document draws attention to the completed development stages of the project - including the establishment of stakeholder relationships, delivery structure, teams and timescales.

It also highlights the new businesses which have filled previously empty units and fit the criteria of ‘browsing, creative and arty’.

Project leader Jeremy Ireland said: “It is going very well and we expected to be at this point after the first year.

“We have a group of people who don’t come from the background of taking on big projects like this but what we are doing is working and we can all be very proud of ourselves.”

Since the successful bid, ten units have been filled in addition to the operations hub in High Street.

A branding identity and logo has been established for the Old Town Team.

The Old Town Business Association, which played an important role in the bid, has increased its membership eightfold and has set itself up as a fundraising and income generating group to support the sustainability of the area and as an association which provides administrative and legal support for traders and events.

A proposal for Warwick District Council to consider a 10p fee for three-hours car parking in Bath Place, Packington Place and Court Street car parks has fallen by the wayside as the team was unable to cover the council’s £60,000 loss.

But Severn Trent’s current two hours’ free parking offer to offset the affect of its roadworks will give the team some indication of what parking schemes can do to stimulate demand.

Businesses have given time and money to the project while most of the Portas money remains in a pot and could be used for advertising, planning applications if needed and the revamping of the railway bridge.

Talks are ongoing with Network Rail over using the bridge as a spot where galleries can pay to exhibit works, with the revenue then filtering back into the regeneration project.

Plans for the coming months include opening a new shop in time for the influx of students into the area by the end of October, a street fair for that month and promoting Old Town as a destination for shopping at Christmas.