Pandemic support welcomed for Trafford town centres

The 2020 Reopening High Streets Safely Fund, which in 2021 became the Welcome Back Fund saw the government award local authorities funding from the European Regional Development Fund to support the recovery of the high street following several periods of lockdown.

During this time Trafford Council has used the funding to make a real difference.

In the early days of the pandemic the fund was used to deploy Covid-19 Information Officers, supporting retail and hospitality business to be Covid-secure, and provide town centre messaging to encourage residents to encourage social distancing.

As restrictions were lifted in spring 2021, funding was then used to welcome residents back to Trafford’s town centres and high streets, using street messaging to encourage people to use their local centres safely.

Funding has also been used to support initiatives aimed at boosting town centre footfall, including contributions to Christmas lights displays in a number of centres, a marketing campaign with Marketing Manchester, jet washing of Sale and Urmston town centres, refurbishment of planters in Sale, a town centre map for Urmston, an accessibility audit of our town centres and the launch of a mobile phone app to support high street businesses, giving users easy access to information about our town centres, and information and offers from registered businesses.

The full list of activity includes:

Town centre Covid regulations messaging

Business Covid-19 Secure communications

Deployment of Covid-19 Information Officers

Temporary road closures to facilitate social distancing

Explore Trafford marketing campaign

Jet washing of Urmston and Sale town centres

Refurbishment of planters in Sale

Contribution towards Christmas lights installations

Accessibility audit of our town centres

Launch of a mobile app for Trafford town centres

Creation of an illustrated map of Urmston town centre

Lighting of ginnels in Altrincham

Supported Altrincham Unlimited’s Paint Altrincham Pink activity

Supported the Visit Altrincham launch

Cllr James Wright, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration, said:

“The past two years have been incredibly challenging for town centre businesses as they navigated lockdowns, ever-changing restrictions and social distancing requirements.

“Throughout this period we have worked hard to tap into all the funding available to support Trafford businesses to continue to trade safely – and to encourage residents to use their local high streets with confidence.”

Any business interested in learning more about the town centres mobile phone app and registering on it for free should email business@trafford.gov.uk