A hi-tech borough council backed partnership scheme to
boost the regeneration of Rotherham Town Centre has
scooped a prestigious national award.
Rotherham's Town Centre Initiative took the Gold Award
in the 'Property Week' Town Centre Regeneration Awards.
Rotherham Town Centre Co-ordinator Phil Davies received the accolade
at a ceremony in London hosted by TV personalities, Rory McGrath and David Gower.
The award recognised the team's success in developing a
specialist system to attract inward investment.
It has proved hugely successful in cutting the
number of vacant town centre properties.
The system has also attracted praise from Government trade and industry
minister Patricia Hewitt and now looks set to be used as a model
of good practice by other local authorities and organisations countrywide.
Council Leader Mark Edgell welcomed news of the award and said:
"We have long recognised the importance of developing effective
modern ways of regenerating the town centre. The team who developed
this system had to ensure that whatever they created had to match
the needs of businesses looking to Rotherham as a potential site
for investment. They managed to do just that and the town and
borough will now reap the rewards of such careful planning.
There is still a long way to go, but awards such as this are
recognition from the wider community of the good practice
in Rotherham. On behalf of the council I congratulate all
those involved in this scheme. "
Receiving the award on behalf of the Town Centre Initiative,
Phil Davies, (Town Centre Co-ordinator),
praised the support of
the businesses and the council.
"Rotherham Council and local businesses have shown great
enthusiasm for the project", said Phil "and while Tony
Blair is right to highlight the poor take up of Information
Technology in the North, Rotherham has once again shown itself
to be at the cutting edge of new developments."
The Rotherham Towntalk web site lists every business
in the Town Centre and can be accessed from anywhere in
the world via the internet.
Schools and colleges can use it for local projects, and
even those members of the public without personal computers
can visit the site from the Public Access Points at either
Herringthorpe Leisure Centre or Rotherham Library and Arts Centre.