Today the government released its much anticipated response to the independent Portas Review that was published in December.

The review set out 28 recommendations designed to breathe life back into the UK high street. 

Here are our thoughts...

Grant Schapps refers to his response as the Portas Plus and is a new package of assistance community building incentives including:

•  A multi-million pound High Street Innovation Fund - kick started by £10 million of taxpayers money focussed on bringing empty shops back into use

• A £1 million Future High Street X-Fund, which will be awarded in a year's time to the locations which deliver the most creative and effective schemes to revitalise their high streets;

• A National Markets Day, launching a National Markets Fortnight,

•  A £500,000 fund for Business Improvement Districts,

• Another round of Portas Pilots, to trial some of Mary's recommendations and come up with new ideas to breathe life into underused high streets.

This response is delivered on the closing day for the first round of Portas Pilot applications. An interim measure that has encourage the formation of Town Teams around the UK as they formulate and put forward applications to the Communities and Local Government Department for up to £100,000 worth of funding to kick start the process of regeneration in those areas chosen.

BeepTreat is delighted to have been asked to be involved in a number of Portas Pilot applications most notably Bristol City Council as one of the key elements required within it was the need to demonstrate innovative and creative ways to regenerate our community centres. We are looking  forward to supporting those forward thinking Town Teams going forward.

As providers of a system that drives footfall into shops and the hospitality sector that uses smartphones, QR codes and does some clever stuff on Facebook to get your customers to recommend you when shopping  (see below) we were a natural choice.

3251 people were connected to that simple interaction caused by one customer using BeepTreat and the only way anyone seeing that could get the same Treat was to actually visit The Burger Joint to get it. Great marketing for any business and completely controlled by the business using it. To see how that gets started all you need is an iPhone or Andriod phone and scan this BeepTreat QR code. I know dead simple isn't it and just think of the uses.....

The BeepTreat team welcome the governments response as once again they are encouraging the development and implementation of localised solutions that are owned by the communities they relate to. Exactly the kind of thing we stand for…

So if you are interested to know how we can support your Town Team wheter or not you are sucessful in becoming a pilot town then please download our retailers booklet below which explains exaxtly what we are up to and how we can work with you to help revive your high street.