In the wake of the controversy surrounding Mary Portas’ plans to revive the high street, a number of different suggestions have been put forward in order to taken the recovery of town centres up a notch. Retail groups including the British Retail Consortium (BRC) have accused the government of not doing enough, with a key issue being the debate of whether or not to revamp the business rates system.
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles
As an interim measure, the government has announced the launch of a scheme designed to help town centres adapt to a new generation of consumers. The scheme, to begin this month, will utilise the skills of expert teams in modernising high streets and attracting consumers who have shunned their local retail districts in recent years.
350 ‘town teams’ will participate in the initiative, taking part in workshops led by mentors from a variety of local organisations. These include the Association of Town and City Management, Business in the Community and the Centre for Local Economic Strategies.
The scheme has been spearheaded by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, who believes that educating local authorities in the needs of consumers will prove to be a long-term solution to the high street’s woes.
He says; “We have reset the terms to allow high streets to thrive in the digital age with tax breaks for small businesses, a simplified planning system and fairer parking rules.
“We’ve also followed many of the recommendations set out in the Portas Review, but it is now for ‘town teams’ to come together and plan what they want from their high streets, not just today, but in 10, 15, 20 years’ time.
“There isn’t a one size fits all model but with the help of these dedicated local high street experts town teams will have the tools to make the changes they want, and support the high streets of the future.”
The workshops will run nationwide and begin by focusing on the most pressing issues preventing high street growth, as identified by the Association of Town and City Management. These include the day to day running of a town team, incorporating alternative industries into the high street outside retail and utilising methods designed to increase footfall.
However, other steps such as making the high street more age friendly, running a local market and utilising digital advancements in a retail environment will also feature in the workshops. Yet these differ from the key issues in that they will be tailored by mentors to specifically target consumer needs in localised areas.
The programme will run until 2015, hopefully allowing the teams of experts to assess which strategies work and which do not during the course of work. It is hoped that this scheme, along with a potential freeze in business rates in 2014, will provide a boost to the ailing high street and help small businesses get back on their feet.
Do you think this initiative will prove successful in reducing the number of empty commercial properties on the high street, or would you prefer to see the government tackle the issue of business rates immediately?
Previous Post
Minister calls in Smithfield and Shell Centre Plans
