STAYING ahead is the name of the game after Leamington town centre was selected for a healthy boost.
Leamington is one of 100 towns chosen to take part in a Healthy High Street scheme being run by charity Business in the Community.
It aims to increase shoppers by ten per cent, reduce vacant properties by a fifth, and look to create new jobs.
They join the likes of Rugby and Nottingham high streets which are also set to receive a helping hand.
Leamington will receive support from Warwick District Council and businesses – including Boots, Marks and Spencer, Wilkos and Greggs – to devise a plan for addressing problems facing the area.
Stephanie Kerr, director of BID Leamington said: “We are very pleased to have been accepted onto this programme.
“The town partnership team, which includes representatives from the business community and the local authority, are really looking forward to working in partnership with the Healthy High Street team to learn from their experiences so we can collectively ensure Leamington’s town centre continues to thrive in this fast-changing retail environment.”
The Leamington project could see a number of changes made in the town. These could improve prioritising accessibility, creating high profile events to attract more people into town, the creation of pop up shops and markets to promote and attract new business, improving customer service and help with marketing.
The town has seen a steady growth over the last few years with a number of high-profile and independent shops and restaurants choosing to make Leamington their home.
Popular events such as Leamington Food Festival and Warwickshire Pride and have also helped to put the town on the map.
Visit www.bitc.org.uk/healthyhighstreets to find out more about the healthy high street programme.
