The Autumn Statement has been largely welcomed by retail bodies, with the much awaited review of business rates the icing on the cake of a programme of funding initiatives for small businesses. However, this week “high street guru” Mary Portas has hit out at the government, claiming that the “token gestures” seen so far have not been enough to revitalise town centres across the country.
Ms Portas has called on the government to put in place more initiatives to assist small and independent retailers, such as taking faster action on business rates, which she describes as “crippling”.
She also believes local authorities should be given greater powers to take over empty shops, thereby gaining the ability to transform them into units which could be used for commercial or community purposes.
She says; “Local authorities should be granted the power to take control of these [empty] premises and use them creatively or commercially for the benefit of the community.
“Why are we still imposing crippling business rates which were established in Elizabethan times?
“The current system is out of date and favours online and big business – the Autumn Statement introduced some more rate relief measures, but these are just tinkering around the edges.”
Ms Portas went on to highlight towns such as Rotherham, Market Rasen and Sherbourne, all of which have introduced business rates relief schemes independently. Although several have received funding from the government as a means of carrying out these schemes, Ms Portas believes that it is the ideas rather than the money that have allowed these towns to flourish whilst others have failed.
Three years after the publication of the Portas Review, many towns throughout the UK continue to struggle as a result of high vacancy rates. This, Ms Portas claims, could be resolved by a government publication advising town teams on the best ways to make changes, such as introducing cheap car parking schemes or prioritising town regenerations over out-of-town developments in planning departments.
However, Ms Portas’ comments were refuted by Communities Minister Penny Mordaunt, who pointed out that the government has already spent millions of pounds on offering financial support to local authorities as a means of revitalising the high street.
She says; “The new powers this government has given councils and communities have revived high streets up and down the country.
“Mary Portas has helped raise the profile of British high streets and as she makes clear there are many tangible successes to be proud of.
“We’ve brought in simpler planning process, with less red tape, and tackled over-zealous parking to help town centres thrive – and our business rate relief for many small shops has provided £1 billion worth of support.”
Mary Portas’ comments may be met with scepticism by many, given the level of criticism her “Portas Pilot” towns generated following the publication of her 2011 review. However, one thing is clear – the high street is still in need of a greater level of support than it currently receives if the number of empty properties is to be significantly reduced.
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