Reopening High Street Fund

Preston City Council views the health and success of the high street and city centre as a strategic priority.

The recovery phase of the pandemic requires a careful balance to support the short, medium, and long-term success of the city centre while maintaining the lowest possible risk to visitors, employees, and business owners.

With the support of the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund and Welcome Back Fund.

Preston City Council is committed to working with key partner, as well as engaging with local businesses wherever possible, to support a successful, phased, recovery.

The 6 areas of scope outlined by the Welcome Back Fund Guidance are:

Developing an Action Plan
Communication and Public Information
Business-facing awareness activities and support
Temporary public realm changes
Support to promote a safe public environment for a local area's visitor economy
Develop plans for responding to the medium-term impact of Covid-19, including trialling new ideas.

After thorough consideration, Preston City Council has decided to concentrate the allocated funding of this phase of the project on the 5th area of focus - Support to promote a safe public environment for a local area's visitor economy.

What we are doing

The approved Welcome Back Fund (WBF) action plan for the allocated £125,813 (plus £50k budget re-allocated from RHSS to WBF) the European Regional Development Fund through the Department for Communities and Local Government is as follows*:

Large scale outdoor installation
Photography
Christmas enhancement: Flag Market
Marketing activities
Visit Preston video
Fireworks
Mixed public seating
Fleet signage
Bin lorry signage
City centre signage

Supplier opportunities

Supplier opportunities related to this funding can be found below as and when they are available.

Reopening High Streets Safely (RHSS)

The approved RHSS action plan for the allocated £125,813 from the European Regional Development Fund through the Department for Communities and Local Government was as follows*:

Communications and public information activity to ensure that reopening of local economies can be managed successfully and safely

Commission an agency to undertake the following actions:

Targeted social media campaign promoting visiting Preston safely
Corresponding advertisements and advertorial in local and regional press
Radio Advertisement(s)
Digital Billboard (multiple changes)
Print billboards (multiple locations)
Bus rears

Business-facing awareness raising activities to ensure that reopening of local economies can be managed successfully and safely

Commission an agency to deliver a digital information package to businesses promoting safe practice, including at least one video, to support the information and advice available on the website.

*Please note: these are indicative actions that are subject to change based on the changing restrictions, etc.

Available resources

What is the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund/Welcome Back Fund?

The Council has been allocated up to £215,626 for the Reopening High Streets Safely and Welcome Back projects, funded from the England European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014 - 2020.

The Department for Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for ERDF.

Established by the European Union ERDF funds help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations