Business

It's right up their street for Portadown and Lisburn

Portadown was among the winners at the 2018 Great British High Street Awards in London
Portadown was among the winners at the 2018 Great British High Street Awards in London Portadown was among the winners at the 2018 Great British High Street Awards in London

TWO Northern Ireland high streets have been recognised amongst the UK’s best in this year’s Great British High Street Awards, each winning £5,000 for their local communities.

Portadown was crowed Northern Ireland’s Champion High Street while Bow Street in Lisburn claimed the regional Rising Star High Street award at a ceremony at Lancaster House in London attended by the High Streets Minister Jake Berry.

He said: “Across the whole UK, there’s a real determination from local communities to keep their high street vibrant and strong, and these awards reflect that.”

Portadown Town Centre was nominated by the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council in recognition of its rich selection of independent retailers, large industry base and thriving traditional town centre.

The town hosts regular events to bring all sections of the community together and has an active Chamber of Commerce that drives investment and secures funding for town centre initiatives.

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council nominated Bow Street in recognition of the great customer experience on offer, along with its innovative initiatives to drive footfall, developed in partnership with all stakeholders in the high street community.

The high street has a new community events space and recently launched the ‘Love Lisburn, Shop Local’ campaign, which has helped increase visitor numbers and improve civic pride in the local area.

Awards judge Hemlata Narasimhan, head of merchant services at awards sponsors Visa Europe, added: “Portadown town centre and Bow Street are fantastic examples of high streets which have made huge strides in transforming themselves and significantly improving the environment for locals and visitors alike.”