The Labour Government has announced that Norwich city centre is to receive £52,632 in a pre-Christmas boost in order to help attract people to the area and fill up the shops and retail units left empty by the global recession.

Labour is determined to make sure that Norwich city centre remains a vibrant place to work, shop and spend leisure time. Earlier this year, the Government put in place a fund to help many of the hardest hit areas reopen or re-use empty shops.

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, John Denham is today extending that help to Norwich, so that the city can plan for the recovery.

Norwich will use the money to support the Vacant Shop Campaign, which brings together the City Centre Partnership (CCP), landlords and tenants. This project will promote the city and attract new retailers. The scheme will brighten the streetscape, whilst attracting new businesses and visitors to the city centre. 

The Conservatives would end the fiscal stimulus and said they would cut the DCLG budget by £1bn, which would threaten innovative policies like the Empty Shops Town Centre fund and drive our economy and communities further into recession.

Labour's Leader of Norwich City Council, Steve Morphew said:

“This Government funding will be a real boost to the City Council’s efforts to ensure that our city centre remains a vibrant place that people are attracted to come to from far and wide.

“In the run-up to Christmas, the city needs Norwich’s local shops to do well, and I hope that this is what today’s announcement will help us to achieve.”

Charles Clarke, MP for Norwich South said:

“I very much welcome this announcement. City centres up and down the country have suffered as a result of the economic problems, but this money will go some way to helping Norwich prepare for the recovery, so that our city centre comes out of it strongly.”

Labour’s candidate for Norwich North, John Cook, said:

“It is clear that Labour – on the Council and in Government – will stand by Norwich and give the city the support it needs to come through the recession.

“But sometimes it feels that at every turn the Tories have opposed our efforts to help people and families to get through this downturn.

“People in Norwich deserve to know – are the local Tories for or against this funding from the Labour government? Would they cut it if they were in power?”

Labour’s Communities Secretary John Denham said:

“This money will mean councils can put their creative ideas to work and transform those boarded up eyesores into attractions that bring the shoppers back to the high street.

“This comes on top of the wider support available to help ease business pressures including our town centre revival guide, capital loans, discounted rate bills for small businesses and tax deferments.”