Entrepreneurs Tom and Joe Barratt bid to make Stockport a Portas Pilot

Two brothers from Stockport are holding a 'Teenage Market' today at Stockport town hall. They are offering free stalls to young entrepreneurs. Tom and Joe Barratt are hoping that the town will become one of the first Portas Pilots. Joe Barratt presents a video which is part of a bid that it is hoped will help them secure part of the £1million pounds on offer. A new digital arts and entertainment centre for the town is one of their ideas.

Mary Portas was tasked by the government to report on the state our high streets, many of her recommendations have been accepted. The Portas pilots will see 12 grants of up to £100,000 go to those towns who have come up with innovative ideas to revive their high streets. This project follows the work that Mary Portas undertook with a team of trainees in Middleton in Rochdale who she set up as a business manufacturing knickers. Their story is currently being featured in a series of programmes on C4.