Southampton bids for the Future High Streets Fund
SOUTHAMPTON could receive a multi-million pound boost to transform the city centre, the Local Democracy Reporting Service can reveal.
Historic buildings such as the Bargate could be opened to the public and units in High Street and the surrounding area could be given a new lease of life as the city has bid for its share of a £675m funding from the government.
If the bid is successful, the city could receive up to £25m.
Details of how the money could be spent have not been revealed yet.
But Southampton City Council (SCC) said the funding could be used to connect the area from West Quay across to the new Bargate development and down to Debenhams.
It said this could further enhance the opening up of the city walls and bring forward new uses beyond retail.
This comes as the authority has partnered with Go!Southampton, the Business Improvement District (BID) for the city centre, to bid for the Future High Streets Fund.
Cllr Christopher Hammond, leader of SCC, said: “There are a number of ideas within the bid which, if successful, will not only benefit businesses in the area, but also all those who live in, work in, or visit our great city.”
The fund is able to award up to £25m, with the majority of the awards expected to be in the region of £5m-£10m per town centre.
GO! Southampton chief executive Giles Semper said: “GO! Southampton genuinely believes that we can have a 21st-century city centre that competes with the best in Europe. It’s why we worked closely with Southampton City Council on this bid which proposes innovative ways to ensure the area’s future prosperity and sustainability. Among these are plans to address traffic issues that blight the area and ideas for ‘remaking’ the public realm to ensure it’s fit for purpose long into the future.”
As reported, Southampton has also been shortlisted to receive a share of a £840m national funding pot to transform the transport network in the city centre.
SCC said the bid received letters of support from 13 organisations, including the universities, developers, the Solent LEP, Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, the Southampton Cultural Development Trust and Sustrans.
If successful with the first stage of the application, the authority said it will work with partners to develop further detail.
Southampton Itchen MP Royston Smith said: "I am pleased the city council has submitted a bid to The Future High Streets Fund. This is a really good Government initiative to help rejuvenate our High Streets to ensure they can survive and thrive in what is a very competitive market. I hope Southampton's application is successful and I would particularly like to see the further enhancement of the Bargate and the City's Walls ahead of our bid for City of Culture in 2025."
The government said more than 300 local authorities across the country have bid for a share of the funding and successful applicants will be announced in summer.
They will then have between six to 12 months to develop a full business case and the value of the bid will then be determined.
High Streets minister Jake Berry MP said: “I look forward to reviewing the innovative proposals from local leaders to transform our high streets and town centres and make them fit for the future. We’re determined to ensure high streets continue sit at the heart of our communities for generations to come."
As reported, the site of the former Bargate Shopping Centre in the city centre is also being redeveloped. It will see accommodation for 450 students, 140 private apartments, retail and restaurant units and five retail pavilions,
The multi-million pound regeneration scheme is also set to create 200 new jobs in the city.
As reported, earlier this month civic chiefs also agreed to work with residents, stakeholders and groups across the city to support the creation of Southampton’s City of Culture bid for 2025.
https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/17670155.southampton-bids-for-the-future-high-streets-fund/