Press News
Selby rejuvenation team unveiled
9:30pm Wednesday 22nd February 2012
THE team behind a bid for a share of £1 million to improve Selby’s main street have been named.
James Dunwell, from the Selby Chamber; Coun Steve Shaw-Wright; Eve Lambert who runs the Selby Globe Cinema; and Richard Sharp, from Mollie Sharp’s Cheese Shop, will be responsible for shaping the town’s bid to become a ‘Portas Pilot’.
The scheme is a Government initiative which will grant up to £85,000 to 12 towns around the country, to be used to turn around their “unloved and unused high streets”.
Since The Press reported Selby Chamber’s interest in the scheme two weeks ago, a number of local groups have also become involved, and a meeting was held on Tuesday (FEB 21), between the Chamber, the town and district councils, the Civic Society, the local Community Engagement Forums and local traders, to select a Town Team to co-ordinate the bid.
Mr Dunwell said: “We’ll sit down and thrash out some ideas, then take them back to the group.
“The bids have to be in by the end of March, so whilst we are on our way, we have a very short timescale to put a proposition together.”
The team will next meet on Tuesday, with an aim to bring their suggestions before the rest of the community groups the first week in March, and although the group is positive about Selby’s chances, Mr Dunwell said at the very least, the Team itself would be good for the town.
He said: “Hopefully, whatever comes of this, we have an exercise that brings all the various, disparate groups with interest in the success of Selby, into one place to talk about what its future looks like.
“Even if we don’t get the funding, there’s no reason we can’t keep the Town Team together as a co-ordinating body to make sure everyone’s pulling in the same direction.”
To submit suggestions for the Portas Pilot scheme, email townteam@selbychamber.co.uk