Backing Scunthorpe’s 100 independent traders with further town centre improvements
Work is set to start in September to improve parts of Scunthorpe town centre – with new planting, landscaping, seating and furniture along parts of the High Street, Jubilee Way and Cole Street.
The work comes as Scunthorpe, like town centres across the country, continues to respond to significant changes in the way people shop, work and spend their leisure time.
While online shopping and changing customer habits have fundamentally changed traditional high streets, Scunthorpe town centre remains home to more than 100 independent retailers and businesses, run by people who invest their time, money and livelihoods in the town.
Cllr Rob Waltham, leader, North Lincolnshire Council, said: “Scunthorpe town centre faces challenges – just like town centres everywhere. But there are also more than 100 independent businesses here, with people working incredibly hard every day to make them successful.
“We don’t set commercial rents or national business rates and we can’t reverse the huge changes in the way people shop. What we can do is back those businesses, invest in the town centre and keep working to bring more people and activity into it.
“I am not going to pretend that some new planting or street furniture changes everything overnight – but doing nothing isn’t an option either.”
The pressures facing high streets are national but the council is continuing to act locally – securing investment, improving public spaces, bringing events and activity into the town centre, supporting businesses to adapt and grow – and offering free car parking.
The improvements are being supported through government funding secured as part of Scunthorpe’s High Street Accelerator programme – funding which was announced three years ago but only recently finally approved.
The scheme – which will take around 12 weeks to complete – will create new green spaces and improve biodiversity and accessibility, with the aim of making the area more attractive and welcoming for people who live, work, shop and spend time in the town centre.
