Altrincham town centre is leading the revival of the UK’s high streets awarded the ‘Best High Street’ in England last year, it has now been selected as the pilot for National High Street Perfect Day.

The pilot follows the Government’s ‘High Street Report’ chaired by Sir John Timpson CBE, released in December, which recommended that local leaders must be at the forefront of the rejuvenation of town centres and improving the housekeeping of their high streets.

Now the idea of a ‘National High Street Perfect Day’ – one day in the year when every high street looks and feels the best it possibly can – is being trialled in Altrincham. The lessons will be shared with other town centres across the nation.

The idea is inspired by a similar approach used by Timpson, the high street retail services group familiar to UK shoppers thanks to its 1,325 units across the nation.

Sir John Timpson CBE, Chair of the Expert Advisory Panel on High Streets, and Chairman of retail services company Timpson, said: “Altrincham is where I served my first customer, and that’s one of the reasons I proposed it as the Pilot town for the ‘National High Street Perfect Day’.  It’s a town where the partnerships are working really hard in a challenging national high street environment to buck the trend.

“The ‘Perfect Day’ concept is one which we use in my shops throughout the country and it has worked for us for years.  On one day each year, in every part of the business, the whole team get involved to make sure they shine on the day!  Scaling it up to a whole town centre is an exciting proposition and I look forward to seeing the results in Altrincham.”

The whole community, including the businesses represented by Altrincham Unlimited (the Business Improvement District), schools, voluntary groups and Trafford Council will be working towards ‘one special day’ in many ways. The BID is coordinating a programme of jet washing and working with Trafford Council’s contractors to focus on the appearance of the town centre. The BID is also partnering with six local schools on the ‘Eco Schools’ education programme and with ‘Our Altrincham’ on voluntary litter picks.

Examples of how businesses can be involved include reviewing the look of their premises and ensuring their customer service is where they want it to be, through optional mystery shops.  They will also be offered support if they would like to spring clean their social media.

To celebrate all the hard work, the town’s great retail and business offer, and the community that is Altrincham, the BID will be producing the town’s first ‘High Street Festival’ which will also take place between 12-8pm in the town centre on Friday 17 May.  Everyone will be welcome to come along and have fun.

All town centres are challenged by the trends of out-of-town retail and online shopping.  Whilst visits to UK town centres are down 17% over the past decade and online shopping is rising 10% a year, Altrincham’s footfall has steadily increased over the last 5 years, and even visits for the first quarter of this year are up 10.7% on the same period last year.

Government research finds that 8 out of 10 people in the North-west believe ‘that the High Street is about people’ and that they would miss it if it was no longer there.

Elizabeth Faulkner, The BID Manager for Altrincham Unlimited, said:“We know Altrincham is not perfect and, like any other town, has its challenges. So many individuals and businesses have said they want to work together in partnership to try and make the town ‘look & feel’ the best it can for the 17 May and continue the initiative on a day-by-day basis in the future.  We’re thrilled to have been invited by Sir John Timpson to be the pilot town as it gives us all something to work towards.”

Richard Roe, Corporate Director for Place at Trafford Council said: “Building on the Great British High Street success, this is yet another national plaudit for the town which the Council fully supports. We will be working closely with Altrincham Unlimited to make the day a success, and a model that we can further develop going forward.”

Bardsley Construction is building on its expertise in the provision of extra care facilities by delivering an £8.2m scheme in Manchester for Southway Housing Trust.

Secured via the Homes England DPP Framework, the extra care facility at Burnage Lane comprises the design and construction of 56 self-contained one and two-bed apartments over three and four storeys.

The scheme will provide a communal lounge for residents, a bistro for residents and visitors, a laundry, office space for Southway management, private balconies to the rear, large gardens and parking for residents and visitors.

The design team on the project consists of Pozzoni Architects, civil and structural engineers Clancy Consulting and mechanical and electrical engineers S I Sealy, with Markhams retained as employer’s agent and quantity surveyor.

Adrian Rooney, housing and development director at family-owned Bardsley Construction, said: “This prestigious project for Southway Housing Trust builds on our expertise in the provision of such specialist facilities and will regenerate a former brownfield site on Burnage Lane which has remained vacant for several years.”

Southway Housing Trust is a not-for-profit local housing company based in Didsbury, south Manchester. It owns and manages almost 6,000 homes across Burnage, Chorlton, Didsbury and Withington while also providing services for tenants, residents, the environment and wider community of south Manchester and beyond.

Karen Mitchell, chief executive at Southway Housing, said: “The appointment of Bardsley Construction to deliver this long awaited and hugely necessary scheme proves our commitment to the provision of more social housing in Manchester.

“The scheme was born from a great need and demand for extra care facilities in the area and while providing a community and environment for older residents, will also free up other much needed homes for young families.”

A £35m development of 262 new homes in Bolton has been given the go-ahead by councillors.

Full planning permission was granted for the scheme by Bolton Council’s planning committee. 

Homes will be a mixture of apartments and town houses in the Croal Valley part of the town centre. 

The residential scheme, from Bolton-based company Forshaw Land & Property Group Ltd, will be built on land fronting St Georges Road between Bark Street and Back Bark Street. 

Croal Valley is one of Bolton Council’s five intervention areas within its £1.2bn town centre masterplan. 

The scheme includes fully equipped gymnasiums, private cinemas, residents’ lounges and a roof terrace.

 Managing director of Forshaw, Lyndon Forshaw, said: “I am very pleased with the outcome. This project will set a new benchmark for high quality residential schemes in Bolton town centre.

“It will provide much needed new homes for people in Bolton and further afield. The location of our scheme is an important gateway to the town which has been derelict for years and we are aiming to start work towards the end of the year.” 

Councillors have also approved plans for a £150m neighbourhood in Church Wharf, the first of two town centre masterplan schemes to be granted approval.

Bolton Council director of place, Gerry Brough, added: “This is another piece in our masterplan jigsaw slotting into place. 

“This scheme – like Church Wharf – will rejuvenate a key gateway into the town centre, which needs significant regeneration.

“It will also bring much needed housing to a brownfield site in the heart of Bolton, bringing more people into our town and creating jobs which will help the local economy.

“It demonstrates yet more investor confidence in our vision and strategy.”

Independent commercial building consultancy Malcolm Hollis has relocated Rights of Light and Neighbourly Matters specialist, Barney Soanes-Cundle, to its Manchester office.

Soanes-Cundle moves from the firm’s London office on a 12-month secondment and will predominantly provide Rights of Light and Neighbourly Matters services to new and existing clients in the North of England.

Soanes-Cundle joined the firm in 2015 and has worked with a range of clients, including Whitbread, CLS Holdings Plc, City of London Corporation, M&G Real Estate and Argent Related, amongst others.

“It is great to have Barney on board in Manchester, strengthening our Rights of Light and Neighbourly Matters offering to clients in the North West and beyond. As a business, we pride ourselves on staff wellbeing and development, which is why we offer people the opportunity to move to other offices and learn new skills,” said Ian McKenna, Head of Rights of Light, Malcolm Hollis.