The new funding will help DTA build on the success of its initial ‘explore, develop and test’ phase which has already supported the revitalisation of town centres in Margate, Scarborough, Cambridge and Hastings.
The Meanwhile Project aims to support landlords, local authorities and town centre managers to work with potential occupiers such as community groups and creative projects to develop innovative and creative ‘meanwhile uses’ for empty town centre shops and buildings that have closed down due to the recession.
Two projects in Margate that received support from the first phase of the Meanwhile Project are already in the process of revitalising Margate town centre turning some of the empty boarded up buildings into attractions for shoppers and visitors and creative design space. The ‘Windows of opportunity’ project will see the town centre animated by 10 art installations and ‘Design Studios’ is stimulating the creative economy by converting the former casino, a key town centre property, into design studios and hot-desk space to support the growing number of enterprises from the creative sector.
The Government has also made it easier for local residents and organisations to use empty shops by producing standardised ‘meanwhile’ leases for temporary use while shops are vacant.
John Denham said:
"We know that the downturn has really hurt some English high streets especially where there was already high deprivation. But, the real help we are giving now is making a difference in keeping town centres vibrant.
"There is no need to let parts of our high streets go to waste, especially when we know that it doesn't take a lot to turn them into something useful for the community and transform those boarded up eyesores into attractions that bring the shoppers back to the high street.
"This comes on top of the wider support available to help ease business pressures including our town centre revival guide, capital loans, discounted rate bills for small businesses and tax deferments."
Jess Steele, leading on the Meanwhile Project at the DTA welcomed the Government’s support for the second phase of the project, she said: “The Meanwhile Project helps people to act now rather than watch our town centres and neighbourhoods decline while we wait for recovery.Assets exist in time as well as space – an empty building or delayed site development is social and economic value lost.We cannot afford to let such resources go to waste any longer.The Meanwhile Project aims to help local authorities, communities and creative projects to work together to begin reinventing the high street, making ‘meanwhile use’ a mainstream part of the way we do business.”
The Meanwhile Project is part of the wider Advancing Assets for Communities Programme which is funded by Communities and Local Government and delivered by a consortium led by the DTA.In addition to financial support, the Meanwhile Project will support organisations with business planning advice and will provide the opportunity to draw on expertise from the DTA’s Asset Transfer Unit.The announcement from the Communities Secretary was made alongside the announcement of a further £2.6m of funding for town centres as part of the Government’s ‘Real Help Now’ initiative that will see fifty town centres across the UK receiving financial support to help councils find new uses for vacant town centre premises.
- ENDS -
For further information please contact:
| Farah Hidil | |
| Communications Manager | |
| Tel: 020 7336 9409, Switchboard: 0845 458 8336 email: f.hidil@dta.org.uk | |
Notes to editors:
For more information on the Government’s empty shops funding please read the Press Release from Communities and Local Government www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1403194.
The Meanwhile Project:
The Meanwhile Project forms part of the Advancing Assets for Communities Programme which is funded by Communities and Local Government and delivered by the Development Trusts Association in partnership with Meanwhile Space CIC.
‘Meanwhile use’ describes the idea that vacant shops and other town centre properties can, and should, be used in a way that benefits the area, the local community, the local authority, and the landlord, until such a time that they can be used for commercial purposes again. Meanwhile use is not the same as a temporary lease or licence because it explicitly recognises that the search for a commercial use will be ongoing.
The Meanwhile Project was set up as part of the government’s Town Centres Policy launched in April 2009.The initial ‘explore, develop and test’ phase of the project has been involved in:
- Mapping existing projects
- Working with CLG Property and legal specialists to produce a ‘meanwhile’ lease that will simplify the process for all stakeholders
- Developing communications – website, ning, printed materials, etc
- Exploring the potential to make things happen fast in particular places
To find out more about the Meanwhile Project visit www.meanwhile.org.uk or visit the Meanwhile social network at www.meanwhilespace.ning.com.
Development Trusts Association (DTA):
The DTA is the leading network of community enterprise practitioners, and is aiming for a successful development trust in every community. The DTA helps people set up development trusts and helps development trusts to learn from each other and to work effectively. The DTA also influences government and others at national and local level, to build support and investment for the movement.
Development trusts are community organisations using self-help, enterprise, and asset ownership, to find local solutions and transform their community for good. There are now over 466 development trusts in DTA membership, in both urban and rural areas. While many are still small, others are operating at scale: the combined income is £275m and development trusts have over £565m of assets in community ownership.
For more information on the DTA visit www.dta.org.uk.
Asset Transfer Unit (ATU)
The ATU helps to empower local people and organisations to transform land and buildings into vibrant community spaces whilst supporting development of a thriving third sector.
It is the leading provider of expert advice, guidance and support on the transfer of under-used land and buildings from the public sector to community ownership and management - helping organisations to develop those assets and deliver long-term social, economic and environmental benefits.
The ATU is delivered by the Development Trusts Association (DTA) in association with Community Matters and the Local Government Association and funded by Communities and Local Government.
For more information on the ATU visit www.atu.org.uk, call 0845 345 4564 or email info@atu.org.uk
