Councillors last week voted to expand the Vibrant Spaces trial to cover the central business districts of Wingham, Harrington and Old Bar.

The decision was made as a result of the six month trial in Victoria Street Taree being deemed successful with 74 per cent of participating business reporting an increase in sales and people entering their shops during the trial.

The Vibrant Spaces concept involves using the footpath (for free) in nominated shopping streets to encourage pedestrians to stop, linger and support local businesses. As part of the trial in Taree, businesses were asked to inject some colour into the streets, move products and dining tables onto the footpaths and to embrace the outdoors.

“It’s brilliant and about time,” declared Wingham shopper Kathryn Warwick who said the emptiness of the streets for the past year and a half was “weird” and “felt wrong.”

In August 2013 council cracked down on licence compliance in the central business district of Wingham and many shop keepers had to take in tables, chairs and other items including plant pots and clothes racks. Wingham was soon dubbed a ghost town until slowly a few items returned to the street when either individual DA’s were lodged or businesses chose to flout the rules.

But the vibrancy has never been fully restored.

“We hope all businesses will now come onboard and make Wingham what we know it can be,” Peter Calabria of Wingham Chamber of Commerce said.

“It’s great to see common sense has prevailed.”

Local business owner Donna Carrier is pretty happy too.

“We can get back to putting Wingham on the map,” she said.

“We have the potential to be one of the most successful little towns in the area and this might give us the confidence to move forward with our street beautification plans."

Council’s senior leader of Planning and Environmental Services, Richard Pamplin noted that both shoppers and shop owners see the Vibrant Spaces trial in Taree as just the beginning.

“Everyone wants to see more happen on the streets - more shops involved, more activities, more music, more colour, more lights and the concept expanded to other towns. We will continue to assist businesses to improve the look and feel of our shopping streets,” he said.

Council staff started discussions with shop owners in Wingham last week with plans to liaise with shop owners in all three town centres over the next four weeks.

All shop owners wanting to participate in vibrant spaces are encouraged to visit the Greater Taree City Council website and register their business. If they have any questions they can contact council staff.

The registration requires shop owners to follow three simple rules: use a common sense approach, work with their neighbours and be responsible for the footpath (including holding $20 million public liability insurance).

The aim is to make vibrant spaces common practice through a new policy said Greater Taree City Council. As it may take a few months to have this new policy in place, council has issued an extension of Vibrant Spaces under the trial rules effective last Thursday.

This enables shop owners in Wingham, Old Bar and Harrington to participate until the policy is in place to make it permanent.

Wingham Chamber of Commerce is planning to hold an information night to help businesses take full advantage of the Vibrant Spaces concept.