Maidenhead & Windsor

Vacant shops in Maidenhead town centre could be made more attractive, if owners and letting agents join the town partnership's drive to improve the appearance of local streets.

The partnership – a joint initiative between local Maidenhead businesses and the Royal Borough – has commissioned window posters from a local design company with the aim of putting them in the windows of vacant shops to make them look better.

The full colour posters with the slogan: Maidenhead – making a good town GREAT should start to appear within the next few weeks.

Initial contacts with agents involved in letting vacant shops have been very encouraging and the partnership is keen to get the scheme started as soon as possible.

Maidenhead Cllr Simon Werner, partnership chairman, said: "Unfortunately, you will always have empty shops in a town centre. Either they are between lets or there may be plans to demolish a block and rebuild, which can mean the shops will be vacant for quite a long period. But it is important that these empty shops do not look tatty.

"We've chosen the slogan Maidenhead – making a good town GREAT because we firmly believe that Maidenhead has a lot going for it and, with all of us working together, we can sort out the issues that people are concerned about and make our town even better."

Jane Wright, vice-chairman, said: "The partnership believes that by introducing bright, attractive posters for display in the shop windows it will not only brighten up the appearance of the premises but also give the letting agents the opportunity to put forward their messages in dedicated sections of the posters."

The 2 x 2 metre posters, designed by Eureka Design in Maidenhead, feature a shopping scene from the town centre and will be available by the end of the month for display in vacant shop windows.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead