Cash injection is ‘wonderful news’ (From Cotswold Journal)

Cash injection is ‘wonderful news’

8:00am Monday 29th October 2012 in News

EVESHAM is getting a £10,000 cash boost from the Government to help make it a more vibrant place to be.

The Department for Communities and Local Government launched the Town Team scheme following the review of the country’s high streets carried out by ‘Queen of Shops’ Mary Portas.

Evesham was one of more than 400 applicants to be a Portas Pilot but missed out in two rounds of funding.

However, unsuccessful applicants were given a second chance to get support when MPs were invited to sign their towns up as “Town Team Partners”.

Evesham discovered it had been successful this week and would receive £10,000 to implement key parts of its original improvement plan.

It will also have access to a special advice line and network of advisers, mentoring and visits from retail experts and regular meetings with other Town Teams.

Evesham Market Town Partnership will meet to decide how to spend the money.

Chairman Gerry O’Donnell said: “It is wonderful news and, I think, very welldeserved.

“There are a number of options available to us and we need to see how it can be best used to benefit the town.

“One option would be to look at some of the key areas from the initial Portas Pilot bid or it could be fed into the Market Town Partnership’s main programme.

“We could also look at other areas entirely to help the town and its economic recovery.”

Evesham’s mayor Robert Raphael called the award “wonderful news”.