ALTRINCHAM'S transformation is an example to other towns and cities ­— but more needs to be done to engage with diverse groups of people, according to high street experts.

Millions of pounds has been spent reinventing it as a modern market town which is now thriving.

But work needs to be done combining leadership and partnerships with local and expert knowledge to address the range of different issues it may face, according to retail and place management experts at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Recommendations from the university’s Institute of Place Management (IPM) feature in the government's High Street Report, outlining radical new approaches to supporting the transformation of high streets and town centres.

The report was published alongside the IPM’s own publication, High Street 2030: Achieving Change, which details the findings of the research undertaken by the team.

The report was commissioned to support the work of the Minister for the High Street, Jake Berry, and the Expert Panel appointed to look at the future of the high street.

The IPM organised six consultations with local high street users in Altrincham, Holmfirth, Bristol, Shrewsbury, Aldershot and at the Teenage Market in Bolton.

Cathy Parker, co-chairman of the IPM and professor of marketing and retail enterprise at Manchester Metropolitan, said: “The High Street Report is a vital step in identifying the way forward for regenerating town and city centres. This is dependent on local leadership and partnership working that engages a broad spectrum of people locally.”

Simon Quin, who also co-chairs the IPM, added: “We are very grateful to our members, along with members of The BID Foundation who brought together over 200 local stakeholders to discuss the future of town centres and inform the Government’s final publication.”

Dr Steve Millington, a director of the IPM and principal investigator for the project, said: “The High Street 2030 report details the findings of our individual evidence sessions and concludes that we should not be looking to create identikit high streets. There is no one solution.

“The workshops we undertook with a range of stakeholders showed the variation in different towns, the stages they are at and the different issues they are facing.

“The fact that high streets are subject to so many forces of change means we cannot just hope for the best.

"Our report demonstrates that local action can be very effective and, using the evidence collected in the workshops, we have been able to present some ideas that can help all places.”

Recommendations from the High Street Report and the IPM’s High Street 2030 report are expected to be taken forward by the government’s new High Streets Task Force, once it is established.

A spokesman for Trafford Council said: “We welcome the High Street Report and the report from the IPM, and the suggestions made to support town centres policy.

“Thanks to the council and its partners, Altrincham has reinvented itself as a thriving modern market town with a superb retail, recreational, residential and business mix. Millions of pounds have been invested into the public realm and transport interchange to make it a great place to visit, do business and to live.

“Footfall in the town has increased, and vacancy rates have fallen. The council’s Town Centres Business Growth Programme has provided loan funding to help a total of 22 new businesses to open in Altrincham. This has levered in more than £600,000 of private investment and created 100 jobs.

“Altrincham is commonly referred to as a success story and last year was named England’s Best High Street in the Great British High Street Awards. Trafford Council is proud of its work, alongside businesses and the community to transform the town and we will continue to invest in Altrincham to make it an even better place.”

The Task Force will work in conjunction with the £675 million Future High Street Fund, which was announced in the 2018 Autumn Budget, to help town centres plan better spaces for their communities.

The full reports and recommendations can be viewed on the government website.