Hello again!

I should be flogged by the gods of social media for the crime of not posting a THI update for a whole TWO MONTHS! Not good. This was more by accident than design – there has simply been that much going on with the THI that I have not had time to publish an update or tweet very often (which deserves its own flogging).

The lack of update has certainly not been due to a lack of news – loads has happened since the start of July. I’ll start the ball rolling with an update of the building grants strand of the THI.

First two Full Grant Approvals – EVER!

At its 5th August 2014, the THI Partnership Board approved its first ever full grant applications. These are for 29-31 Eccleston Street and 40 High Street. At time of writing there are still a few i’s to dot and t’s to cross before we can put pen to paper on the grant contracts, but both projects look set to start on site this month.
I have given a run through of these projects in previous blog entries. Putting the total of five new flats, two restored double-shopfronts aside, these buildings starting on site will be the culmination of a lot of hard work by the building owners, their architects, our Partnership Board, my ‘agony aunts (and uncle)’ at the HLF and colleagues within the Council (planning, building control, housing, programmes, legal, town centre management) to get these projects to their present stage. These buildings starting on site are a personal milestone for me – I’ve been working to this point since day one, way back in March 2013.

For when these begin on site – watch this space, or Eccleston Street. Or High Street. Or Atherton Street.

Banners!

You’ll be able to spot which building works in the town centre are funded by the THI – we’ve got bespoke THI site banners ready and waiting to be put onto the scaffolds and hoardings around both of the first THI buildings.

Must dash now, but more brief updates on the way to bridge the eventful gap between early July and now.

TTFN