Warwick hopes ‘sexy ideas’ bid will win Portas Pilot status

And this is the last week that local firms can pledge their support to match some of the £100,000 Government grant being sought.

So far businesses including Calor Gas, the Tilted Wig pub, solicitors Wright Hassall, furniture shop Hatton and Harding, as well as the town, district and county council are set to offer a level of financial support ranging from £50 to £10,000.

To stand a chance of being one of the chosen ten or 12 towns, Warwick has to meet 28 recommendations set out by Mary Portas, the Government’s retail advisor, in her campaign to breathe new life into Britain’s high streets.

Ideas put forward so far include markets on Sundays and mid-week as well as Saturdays, more concerts and community events, better parking options and assistance with start-up costs for new businesses.

Twitter-expert Graham Todd, who works at Underwood Wines and has helped forge better links between small and large organisations, including the castle, the racecourse and the local authority.

As a member of a core group putting forward the bid, he said: “We’ve heard on the grapevine that the council has listened to concerns about parking and charges and we hope for some significant developments in that area.”

Mr Todd said there was now optimism in the town, helped by the goodwill generated by a feeling that many organisations are now communicating better with each other.

If the bid is successful Warwick will get up to £100,000 in Government help to be spent on improving the town centre and making it more attractive for shoppers, tourists, residents and the night-time economy.

Mr Todd added: “But it’s not just about the money – it’s more about the prestige of becoming a Portas Pilot. It would be great for the town.”

He said ideas put forward include putting on more community events, live concerts in the square, more shops opening on Sundays and continued improvements in communication.

He said having a “unified and lively” website to promote Warwick, better signs and access to entice people from the castle and racecourse into the town centre and “pop-up shops”, where entrepreneurs take over empty shops for two weeks at a time were also on the drawing board.

But he said: “The ideas have to be sensible and not pie in the sky – feasible and sexy to impress the judges.”

Some people have suggested that Market Place is too drab and needs trees and foliage to break it up.

One long-running success story has been the annual Warwick Folk Festival which brings thousands of new people into the town and the Mop fair.

The deadline for bids to become a Portas Pilot is March 30 and the Warwick group will have to create a YouTube video as part of its presentation. Anyone who wants find out more or pledge some level of supportshould email estelledimelor @btinternet.com