WARRINGTON has again defied the national trend and demonstrated a continued, strong performance of its high street and local economy despite the pandemic, according to the latest figures from Centre for Cities.
The positive performance of Warrington’s town centre in December has seen the town nestled in the top 10 for both comparative footfall and spend across towns and cities in the country.
Findings from Centre for Cities show that in the month of December, compared to the last week of November, high street spend increased by 72 per cent meaning that Warrington has one of the top-performing high streets in the country.
This signifies comparatively strong performance for the North West of the country, with Warrington sitting alongside Liverpool, Birkenhead and Wigan in the top 10.
Warrington Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic development and innovation, Cllr Tom Jennings, said: “A successful high street is key to a strong economy, and I’m pleased to see that Warrington continues to bounce back to such a degree that it again finds itself as one of the highest-performing places in the country.
“The findings by Centre for Cities, alongside the fact that we have paid 93 per cent of more than 1,200 applications for Local Government Restrictions Grants, is a clear indicator for me that Warrington will be able to weather the worst of the pandemic, despite its immense challenges.
Warrington Market – which was recently named the Cheshire’s “Market of the Year” – has played a major part in the success, remaining open for essential shopping throughout the lockdowns and restrictions.
Robert Leicester, trader at Warrington Fruit & Veg in the market, said: “The past 10 months have been extremely difficult for all businesses. Considering the circumstances, the new market, with its clean, open space, has been a huge success.
“The opening of the market has provided real support to small businesses, without which many would have struggled to survive.
“With the continued support of local people, Warrington’s high street has a lot of potential for the future.”