Purpose

Proposals to launch an enhanced Retail / Shop
Front improvement grants programme. Local independent retailers /
small businesses will be able to apply for a grant in order to
boost the appearance of their retail unit premises and / or their
business operation in Crawley town centre retail units or in one of
Crawley's neighbourhood parades.

Content

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet:

a)        
approves the relaunch
of the previously named Retail Improvement Grant Scheme as the Shop
Front and High Street Improvement Programme and the assessment
process as set out in section 5.1 of this report.

 

b)        
allocates
£70,000 of high street improvement funding from the
government to the relaunched Shop Front and High Street Improvement
Programme and to combine that funding with £58,000 of
residual monies from the West Sussex Business Rates Pool to
establish the Shop Front and High Street Improvement
Programme.

 

c)        
delegates authority to the Head of Economy and
Planning, in consultation with the appropriate Cabinet Member, to
review and make minor amendments to the Shop Front and High Street
improvement Programme as further changes to legislation are
introduced or following any review. (Generic Delegation 7 will be
used to enact this recommendation).

 

d)        
requests that the Head of Governance, People &
Performance to amend the Council’s Constitution to reflect
any minor changes arising from the decision.

Reasons for the
Recommendations

To strengthen the ability for
the relaunched Shop Front and High Street Improvement Programme to
support the growth of independent retailers and small businesses in
Crawley by improving the attractiveness and relevance of the
programme to the needs of those businesses.

To enable the relaunched Shop
Front and High Street Improvement Programme to strengthen the
visual appearance of Crawley’s neighbourhood parades and
parts of Crawley town centre in order to enhance footfall and
economic vibrancy.