Improvements to the city centre
The City Growth Business Group is turning the disappointment of the delayed Northern Quarter development into positive progress for Portsmouth. Members of City Growth agreed on mutliple points of action to maximise this opportunity:
We have recently secured funding to
create 50 jobs for young people who have been unemployed for at least 10 months. This ambitious project aims to help reinvigorate the city centre shopping area at the north end of Commercial Road through a task group of young people who will set up a design and marketing organisation, called the Bionic Engineers, to help breathe new life into the city centre.
One project will focus on the empty shops in Market Way, designing and creating ways to improve their frontage and bring them back into use. Two shops have been identified by the City Growth Business Group and it’s hoped a couple more will be secured in the coming weeks so that at least one will be complete by Christmas.
The team plan to work with Barry Walker, the City Centre Manager, in helping to promote Commercial Road and Cascades. Other ideas include extra market provision; encouraging creative and cultural activities; designing and distributing newsletters and helping to organise events in the city centre.
Other Future Jobs Fund employees will be employed directly by other local organisations including Express FM, the Theatre Royal and the Salvation Army.
As well as members of the City Growth Business Group, the project is being supported by Highbury College, Astrium, the City Council and others.
Martin Dennison, Executive Director of the Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Partnership, said: “Young people are the most susceptible to the recession. The national unemployment for this age group hit its highest point since 1993 this year. They must not miss out on the chance to learn useful work skills for their future careers.”
The initiative has been made possible by the Future Jobs Fund; a nationwide fund of around £1 billion that will support the creation of jobs for long term unemployed young people and others facing a significant disadvantage in the labour market. The funding was approved in September following a successful bid from the City Growth Business Group.
The NCP car park in Market Way will be used for seasonal tourist attractions to encourage more visitors to the area. Advertising space will be created to promote local businesses, Christmas trees will be sold during the holiday season and a car washing service will be offered.
The Hope Street hoardings will become a place to represent the creativity of Portsmouth with the help of local artists.
The Roundabout at Market Way will undergo a facelift in co-ordination with The University of Portsmouth. A competition, which is open to students at the University, will see the winning design re-created on the roundabout thanks to a £50-60,000 contribution from the City Council.