Altrincham fails to secure £100,000 Portas Pilot funding (From Messenger Newspapers)

Council and business leaders vow to continue to help revitalise Altrincham town centre

3:18pm Monday 28th May 2012 in News

ALTRINCHAM has failed to secure £100,000 in the first round of the the Portas Pilots - but council and business leaders are still pressing forward with plans to revitalise the town centre.

Only 12 of the towns that applied have been hand picked to receive the hefty prize.

Cllr Matt Colledge, leader of Trafford Council and chairman of Altrincham Forward who organised the bid has said the organisation will not be disheartened.

He said: “Our bid for Portas funding was a statement of our ambition but not winning won’t hamper us from moving forward. We are still serious about revitalising Altrincham.”

The scheme, backed by retail guru Mary Portas, was so popular that a second round has been launched.

All those who previously applied will be reconsidered.

Jackie Campbell, chairman of Altrincham and Sale Chamber of Commerce is determined to deliver change regardless of what happens with the bid.

Ms Campbell added: “It would be great if Altrincham is successful in the second round but we can’t sit back and be dependant on the funding. Our development has got to go ahead. We’ve started regenerating and there’s no stopping us now.”

Helen France, Trafford’s lead officer for Altrincham has confirmed that a lot has been going on behind the scenes to try and give the area a facelift.

Areas with vacant shops are being redeveloped, a new NHS hopsital is due to be built this year and a new transport interchange has now begun.