Leamington town centre to become 'creative beacon' for region following £10m investment - The Leamington Observer

Leamington town centre to become 'creative beacon' for region following £10m investment

Leamington Editorial 10th Jan, 2021   0

LEAMINGTON town centre will see £10million of investment to turn the town into a ‘creative beacon’.

Warwick District Council will work with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government after a successful bid to government’s Future High Streets Fund.

Leamington is one of 57 towns to receive the offer after being shortlisted and asked to present a business case for a vision for town centre’s future.

The council worked on the proposal with stakeholders including Leamington Chamber of Trade, Leamington Town Council, Complex Development Projects and BID Leamington.




The funding will see the north and south of the river transformed and some key ‘under-utilised’ locations reconnected with the town centre to improve footfall.

Council leader Andrew Day says it will help deliver the vision for a creative quarter.


He told the Observer: ”This is a fantastic opportunity for Leamington to respond to challenges faced in the town centre. It will help build a resilient, sustainable future linking investment to key infrastructure and ensuring that it becomes a creative beacon for the region.”

The successful bid flagged that the town centre is at a ‘critical turning point’ and is seeing a steady decline in retail. Stakeholders suggested the need to diversify to address economic, social and environmental challenges.

The application also stated: “Support from the Future High Streets Fund will drive growth, improve the town centre experience and ensure future sustainability. It will provide the infrastructure to ensure the delivery of a sustainable, connected and creative town centre that supports one of the UK’s most important digital industries and a major local hub for economic activity. Leamington has a unique creative heritage to draw from but needs to continue to adapt and change to embrace its bold new creative future. “

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