Uplift Whitton

Whitton is the first substantial Uplift project and details have been agreed following comments in the All In One survey.

Physical improvements

Almost £150,000 is to be spent upgrading 10 shop fronts in Whitton High Street. The Council is investing £97,000 from the Outer London Fund, and £49,000 of its Uplift money to repair and replace shop signs and lighting, and to re-paint and re-configure electrics in the shops. Work will start soon and will be finished by the end of March 2012.

Shops that will benefit include:

• The Arc, 23 High Street
• Shoe Stop, 69 High Street
• Coffee Ways, 69A High Street
• Hazara Enterprises, 81 High Street
• Whitton Pet Centre, 91 High Street
• Tony’s Hairdressers, 97 High Street
• Ellis Fine Foods, 99 High Street
• Centre News and Cards, 101 High Street
• Royal Dry Cleaners, 106 High Street
• Karen’s Sandwiches and Laura’s Hair Studio, 121 High Street

Additional benefits

• The Council has set a further £10,000 aside from the Outer London Fund to support minor improvements for other small businesses in the High Street.
• The Council will spend £200,000 of extra Outer London Fund money to replace all 32 lamp columns in the high street with 1930s style columns.
• New high quality signage will be introduced to replace damaged signs to direct people around the town centre and into car parks. This will be of a single style and is intended to create a sense of place.
• Temporary market stalls will be allowed to promote trade and character.
• Art and cultural projects will be carried out to animate the town centre and make it more attractive as a visitor centre to encourage shopping. Already the Whitton Artists in Residence have set up shop in an empty unit on the High Street
• The whittontowncentre.co.uk website will also be redesigned and re-launched to promote the businesses and services available locally and act as a focal point for local events and information.