East Riding of Yorkshire Council, as part of the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund (ROHSS), has commissioned specialist consultants The Retail Group to write COVID Recovery Action Plans for town centres across the region.
The plans are being developed using a combination of sources of information to assist The Retail Group in developing them.
These sources include:
- on-the-ground assessments of town centres
- the results of a recent survey of residents across the East Riding (which received over 3,000 responses)
- workshops and surveys with stakeholders in town centres
- surveying of businesses in town centres.
Photo © Betty Longbottom (cc-by-sa/2.0) 
Photo © Bernard Sharp (cc-by-sa/2.0) 
Photo © Ian S (cc-by-sa/2.0)
Action plans are being developed for the East Riding towns of Withernsea, Pocklington, Market Weighton, Hedon, Howden, Hornsea, Hessle, Goole and Beverley.
The Retail Group has delivered similar town centre actions plans in other locations.
Councillor Victoria Aitken, portfolio holder for economic development and inward investment at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “While this project is still in the consultation phase, some actions have already begun to be identified to ensure the safe and successful reopening of our town centres in 2021.
“It will be a big effort, and we need the support of our local businesses to develop this safe and successful reopening and ask them to complete our survey, as the more information we can receive from our business communities, the more informed and productive our response can be.”
The survey of businesses for the Town Centre Action Plan can be found at https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/TownCentre_SurveyofBusinesses/Â and please complete by Monday, 22 March.
The views expressed in the survey by local businesses will help shape the plans for the region’s town centres moving forward into 2021.
The plan is being delivered through the Reopening High Streets Safely (RHSS) Fund. This is worth up to £301,870 – made up from European Regional Development Funding (ERDF) – and will be used by East Riding of Yorkshire Council to help businesses and town centres face the challenges ahead.
