SHOPPING centre bosses could be asked to contribute more money towards the town’s Shopmobility scheme.
Councillors on the borough’s overview and scrutiny committee have called on a higher percentage of the cost to come from the Kingfisher Shopping Centre.
Currently the centre provides an annual grant of £30,000, which is coupled with donations of about £10,000 each year and the £62,870 given by Redditch Borough Council towards the scheme.
Coun Carole Gandy said while she was council leader until 2012 the contribution from the shopping centre was higher and she felt as the Kingfisher was financially benefiting from those using Shopmobility, by spending money within the centre, they should be giving more.
Councillors were told in 2013/14 there were 15,826 visits and, although data is not routinely collected, there was a report put together for a month over April and May 2014 which showed 725 people booked to use the service and 308 used it without booking. Of those 682 were Redditch residents and 341 came from outside the area.
Ken Williams, general manager of the Kingfisher Centre, said: “The mobility centre is a valuable community resource and we are pleased we are able to help contribute to the running of this facility, which is used by people throughout the town centre. We have not discussed any possible changes to the council’s funding of the mobility centre with them and it would be inappropriate to speculate or comment any further at the moment.”
If the council’s decision-making executive committee approve the request for more money it will be up to Kingfisher Shopping Centre owners Capital and Regional to consider.
