Last updated 19:27, Thursday, 20 November 2008

A FOUR-year free-rent deal on Workington town centre shops is understood to have been offered in a bid to attract new businesses.

But 12 empty shop units remain in the new town centre development as concern grows over the impact of the credit crunch.

Allerdale council’s scrutiny committee on Friday discussed options for improving the Washington Square area.

It heard that Dave Fletcher, town centre development manager, had been offering a four-year rent-free period as an incentive to try to attract new shops.

Mr Fletcher declined to stipulate exactly what the incentives on offer were but said: “In this economic climate, where we know we are heading for a recession, it is only right that we offer some kind of incentive.

“I am not going to say what that incentive is, but if you own a business and are looking for a property then you will be looking for the best deal. That is what we are trying to offer.”

At the moment there are 12 empty units in the town centre and Mr Fletcher said he had been in touch with several interested parties.

He added: “We are always talking to businesses and advertising what we have on offer.”

The scrutiny committee considered a report from Cumbria Chamber of Commerce on the retail state of the town centre and its recommendation for improvements.

The report highlighted parking issues and a lack of eating places.

Don Graham, of the chamber, said that the lack of a development plan for the town centre was not doing Workington any good and he recommended hiring a dedicated town centre manager to oversee the project.

Mr Graham said: “There is a distinct lack of a retail development plan in the town.

“There needs to be someone with leadership powers to oversee a plan.

“A town centre manager would be the ideal, but that person cannot become a football between the council and the shops.

“There is also a lack of eateries in the town, which is a case of poor management. There is nowhere that you can stop shopping to grab a bite to eat.

“And there seem to be no local shops in the precinct. In order to find them you need to go down Murray Road and along towards the Carnegie.”

Coun Trevor Fee said that the council had no money to employ a town centre manager and Coun Martin Wood added: “If there is no money then it has to be looked for.”

Parking in the town was also an issue, said chamber chief executive Rob Johnston, who highlighted ideas for the council to consider.

He said that Allerdale could offer a ‘passport’-style approach to parking where people might buy a ticket that would allow parking in any car park in the district.

Mr Johnston added that a review of parking in Allerdale was needed.

It was agreed by the committee that they would put forward plans to look at parking in the area, with an extra 10 hours free parking over the festive period.

This move would cost Allerdale £1,300 based on the free parking on a Thursday or Friday afternoon.

Coun Fee said: “This should be looked into, especially in this difficult economic climate.”