Macclesfield Town Centre and Regeneration Champion responds to footfall increase
Despite big names like M&S and River Island leaving the high street, Macclesfield town centre has seen an increase in footfall.
As a result, Macclesfield Town Centre and Regeneration Champion has given her take on the news.
South Macclesfield resident Fiona Wilson was speaking following the publication of our previous Macclesfield Nub News article on the good news.
The Town Councillor also revealed more data and more positives for our town's high street.
"It's great news to see the footfall figures in Macclesfield Town Centre continuing to increase," she said.
"The year-on-year footfall figures indicate that the number of visitors who came to Macclesfield increased by 13.3%.
"Macclesfield Town Council has provided grants to support a number of events which are bringing people to the town centre including Mac-POW at the beginning of July and it was fantastic to see the Pride Parade back to our town centre again as we continue our recovery from Covid. The Town Council has also provided support for outdoor hospitality areas which have been extremely well used.
"Our Town Rangers, working with the community and Councillors prepared the town and the estates for Britain in Bloom and judging took place in July and we await the outcome. We have installed additional street lighting on Backwallgate in response to concerns about the area being poorly lit and have great plans for the rest of the year including Nature Needs You, Halloween, Remembrance, and Christmas including lights and various events in the town centre. Last year we received great feedback from traders who were busy all day for our Step into Christmas event.
"We have also worked hard with Cheshire East Council and the art and culture forum on the new artwork in the town, namely two new murals, the Ian Curtis tribute on Mill Street and the beautiful Swifts at the train station.
"We continue to work with Cheshire East Council, Macc Hospitality Action, Macclesfield Museums, CVS and Peaks and Plains Housing Trust on Town Centre Recovery and Regeneration. Whilst neither Macclesfield Town Council or Cheshire East Council set business rates or rents, we are working on a funding bid to the Shared Prosperity Fund and were successful in a bid to the Welcome Back Fund which paid for deck chairs, gazebos and planters amongst other things.
"A regular point which is raised with Councillors is the provision of toilets in the town centre and the Town Council has allocated £100,000 to pay for this. There have been land ownership issues with the original location identified and we are now working with Cheshire East Council to install public toilets in a suitable town centre location.
"Macclesfield is not unique in experiencing the closures of large retail stores and this is largely down to changing shopping habits where many prefer to shop on-line rather that visit stores in person. Store owners then make commercial decisions to withdraw from town centres.
"Recently, the hospitality sector has been hit by the cost-of-living crisis and escalating utility costs and some businesses have closed whilst new ones open, although many fantastic independent businesses remain in Macclesfield Town Centre.
"There is no doubt that Macclesfield Town Centre is changing and the increase in footfall figures demonstrate that people have been returning to the Town Centre and we will continue to monitor the situation and do all that we can as a Town Council to support local businesses."
Fiona Wilson was elected as a Labour Macclesfield South Councillor in May 2019.
You can learn more about her here.
The news comes just hours after an epic 52-page plan to revitalise Macclesfield's neighbouring town of Congleton was revealed.
Please click on our sister site Congleton Nub News to read that story.
See Also: Opening date for new Macclesfield bar Urban Vixen confirmed
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