ALTRINCHAM town centre will pilot the first National High Street Perfect Day.

On Friday, May 17 the high street will look and feel the best it can – and lessons learned will be shared across the nation. It was inspired by Sir John Timpson CBE who described Altrincham as “a town where the partnerships are working really hard in a challenging national high street environment to buck the trend.”

Elizabeth Faulkner, of Altrincham Unlimited, said: “We’re thrilled to have been invited to be the pilot town as it gives us all something to work towards.” The whole community will work together to make sure the town looks its best, with litter picking and jet washing initiatives in place.

Businesses will go all out to ensure their customer service is first class and will be given help to spring clean their social media.

To celebrate Altrincham and its businesses, the town’s first ‘High Street Festival’ will take place between 12pm and 8pm on May 17.

Richard Roe, corporate director for Place at Trafford Council, said: “We will be working closely with Altrincham Unlimited to make the day a success, and a model that we can further develop going forward”.

In recent years, town centres across the country have been challenged by the growth of online shopping and out-of-town retail parks, but Altrincham has managed to increase its footfall over the last five years. Last year, Altrincham was awarded the ‘Best High Street’ in England.