Council bidding for up to £15million to transform Stratford

UP to £15m could be heading Stratford’s way in a bid to transform the town centre, the Herald can reveal.

Warwickshire County Council has put in a funding bid to the government for between £10m and £15m, the paper has learned.

Two weeks ago, we reported on the council’s bid for cash from the levelling up fund to alter the town centre radically.

Proposed changes include wider pavements in Bridge Street and High Street, a permanent 20mph zone and a pedestrian zone in High Street between certain hours.

The improvements would reflect many of the ideas put forward in Stratford’s adopted neighbourhood development plan and Stratford Town Council has already commissioned concept designs, due to be completed this summer.

The county council would not initially confirm exactly how much money it was bidding for, simply saying that it was in excess of £1m.

Any scheme would still have to go through a through consultation process, but the county council has had to act fast to get its bid in. The deadline is 18th June and it remains to be seen whether the town will get the cash.

However, with nearby towns such as Leamington winning millions from the future high streets fund and predictions that Stratford district will be one of the hardest hit economically by the pandemic, there is a compelling case for the town to win government funding.

Stratford has already received £1.5m from the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership to create the riverside corridor.