TOWN traders took to the streets to celebrate booming business, exciting new regeneration projects and victory in the battle for customers against shopping giant Bluewater.

Monthly figures collated by Gravesend’s town centre management reveal that in May key businesses in the town achieved a 50 per cent higher sales figure than the Confederation of British Industry’s UK average.

Figures also reveal that despite a predicted 15 per cent drop in trade after the opening of Bluewater, trade in Gravesend is only down one per cent.

The introduction of initiatives, including improved parking facilities, better CCTV and special events such as heritage week, were cited as reasons behind the buoyancy. Traders gathered for a street party in the old High Street on June 26.

Manager of Debenhams, in New Road, Chris Bellamy says people liked shopping in Gravesend because it was easy and it had more of a community.

He said: “Debenhams is about to invest £1m in modernising the store which wouldn’t happen if it was not confident about trading in Gravesend. People were concerned big stores were going to pull out of the town but it seems to be going the other way, there is a lot of investment going on and trade is good.” Town centre co-ordinator S Sangha told News Shopper: “By the time Bluewater opened, the town centre partnership had a lot of experience in working with stores and regeneration.

“Gravesend is bustling and busy with activity and we hope to bring another dimension to the town with the regeneration of the Heritage Quarter.” The town’s renaissance has received a further boost with a £300,000 grant from English Heritage to regenerate the town’s most deprived areas.

The organisation’s Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme (HERS) will pump cash into the community, funding a range of projects aimed at bringing prosperity and better living standards to the town.

Gravesham Council leader Councillor Rosemary Leadley said: “This is the latest example of the council working with external funding organisations. We are pleased to continue our ongoing relationship with English Heritage which has enabled us to achieve regeneration in the town centre and beyond.”