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NEWS AND MEDIA
CCP VACANT SHOP CAMPAIGN BRIGHTENS NORWICH'S CITY CENTRE STREETSCAPE
29 May 2009
As the economic downturn affects our city centre street scene, Norwich CCP launches its new poster campaign to brighten up the empty shop frontages
The CCP developed the "Vacant Shop Campaign" to brighten up and utilise empty shop frontages to give out key messages about the retail offer in Norwich and to enhance the streetscape for the visitors, residents and shoppers in the city centre. This project was generously supported by Fitt Signs and Naked Marketing, who provided sponsorship for our first run of posters. This co-ordinated approach to brighten up the empty shops and keep the streetscape vibrant involved the CCP, retail agents Roche, Bidwells, Francis Darrah Surveyors and the landlords. It will help to promote Norwich and hopefully attract new retailers to the City. The posters reflect the positive environment that Norwich offers to businesses and ensures that whitewashed or empty stores do not impact negatively on the street scene for visitors, residents and shoppers. The Campaign posters have so far been placed in 12 units in the city centre including London Street, Bank Plain, St Stephens Street, Castle Street, Westlegate and Davey Place. The CCP, property agents and Norwich City Council have devised new guidelines to assist in alternative uses for the vacant shop sites; including working with local artists and Norwich University College of the Arts for art display space and promotion space for the charity/voluntary sector.
The Vacant Shop Campaign launch included interviews with BBC Look East, Anglia News, Radio Heart, Radio Norwich and Radio Norfolk and press coverage from Norwich Evening News and Eastern Daily Press. The Norwich campaign has been highlighted as national best practice by the Association of Town Centre Managers and the Department of Communities & Local Government; with Barbara Follett MP, Regional Minister and Department for Culture Media & Sport Minister, commenting on the success of our empty shops initiative.
"City Centre Management is critical in building successful city centres. Businesses recognise improving the quality of the public realm is synonymous with delivering a better, more popular and more profitable trading environment. Property owners know that a better trading environment enhances the status of town centres and the demand for property. Transport Providers find that more attractive, accessible town centres strengthen our most efficient transport hubs and increases demand for modern transport systems. In fact all stakeholders benefit from a buzzing city centre. City centre management is the key to getting joined up action."
MARTIN BLACKWELL, Development Director, Association of Town Centre Management
