Blackburn crowned best high street in Britain

Blackburn town centre has beaten hundreds of high streets across the country to be named the overall winner of the Great British High Street of the Year 2016 and the Town Centre of the Year in a competition run by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

This marks the third annual Great British High Street Awards and it crowned Blackburn, described as one of the first industrialised towns in the world, as the best following the town centre’s reinvention over recent years which has seen the council investing 9 million pounds in its heritage buildings to bring them back to their former glory.

In addition, Blackburn has also launched initiatives such as Blackburn Against Crime and seen the redevelopment of its 600,000 square foot shopping centre, The Mall attract new businesses, leading to an 8.6 percent increase in footfall in 2016 on a year-over-year basis.

As overall winners, Blackburn will receive the 10,000 pounds grand prize, as well as a trophy, which was awarded to them during a ceremony in London. They will also receive expert training from Google’s digital taskforce for shops, bars and restaurants, and a trip to Twitter UK’s London office to boost their social media skills.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Our high streets are going from strength to strength as this year’s Great British High Street competition shows. Town centres are being revitalised, with vacancy rates falling over the last year, and Blackburn is a great example of how hard work and support for local businesses can turn things around.

“The strong Business Improvement District is working closely with the council to invest in the town and put on a vibrant calendar of events that has seen visitors flock in their thousands to the town centre – long may it continue.”

Great British High Street names 2016 winners

Other winners in the Great British High Street Awards included The Cathedral Quarter in Derby winning best City Location, while Bridgnorth won in the Large Market Town category, and Falmouth scooped best Coastal Community. There were also two awards for Hebden Bridge for best Small Market Town and the People’s Choice Award, while Hoole in Chester was named best Local Centre, and Pateley Bridge was awarded the best Village award.

In London, Myddleton Road in Haringey, beat off tough competition from Romford and Waterloo who were named runners-up, while the Rising Star accolade was given to Stockton.

Winners in each category will not only get a share of a prize pot worth 100,000 pounds but they’ll also receive the expert training from Google and Twitter, along with Blackburn.

The Great British High Street Competition 2016 competition aims to celebrate the great work that is being done to revive, adapt and diversify the nation’s high streets, and this year’s competition saw a record 900 entries across all 14 categories, including the new categories for individuals and shops.

The 2015 overall winner, Bishy Road in York has found that winning has not only boosted town pride but also led to a rise in sales due to increased footfall.

Image: courtesy of Department for Communities and Local Government