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Select Committee · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Supporting our high streets after COVID-19

Status: Closed Opened: 8 Jul 2020 Closed: 17 May 2022 39 recommendations 1 conclusion 1 report

The inquiry will examine the long-term consequences of the Covid-19 outbreak on the future of the high street. It is interested in how government, at all levels, can mitigate the economic and social impact and develop policies to ensure high streets remain the centre of local communities. The Committee will look at the impact of … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Sixth Report - Supporting our high streets after COVID-19 HC 37 10 Dec 2021 40 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

6 items
1 Conclusion Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre… Acknowledged

We commend the Government for acting decisively and quickly to implement a wide-ranging package that...

We commend the Government for acting decisively and quickly to implement a wide-ranging package that supported high street businesses during the covid-19 pandemic. We additionally commend the Government for taking steps to avoid a cliff- edge of support, both by extending schemes beyond the lifting of restrictions, and by winding … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government agrees on the importance of learning lessons from the pandemic and states it continually monitored economic impacts and engaged with the retail sector. It has also commissioned an external evaluation of the Business Support Grant programme's delivery effectiveness.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
2 Recommendation Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre… Acknowledged

The Government’s commitment in its hospitality strategy to learning lessons from the pandemic for the...

The Government’s commitment in its hospitality strategy to learning lessons from the pandemic for the hospitality sector is a welcome start, but it should do so for high streets and town centres in the round. Learning lessons will not only help central and local government be better prepared to support … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government acknowledged the importance of learning lessons from the pandemic's impact on high streets and town centres, citing ongoing monitoring, engagement with the retail sector, and an external evaluation of the Business Support Grant programme.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
6 Recommendation Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre… Acknowledged

In line with our predecessor Committee’s recommendations and our report on the planning system in...

In line with our predecessor Committee’s recommendations and our report on the planning system in England, Local Plans and strategies for high streets and town centres must be updated regularly in order to keep pace with changing trends. This will also help to identify how vacant units arising from the … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government acknowledged the importance of up-to-date Local Plans and stated they are considering measures to support their implementation, but did not commit to annually publishing a list of high street strategies and their update status.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
13 Recommendation Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre… Acknowledged

The Government’s commitment in its Build Back Better High Streets strategy to work with stakeholders...

The Government’s commitment in its Build Back Better High Streets strategy to work with stakeholders on how property owners and community groups can be better engaged with Business Improvement Districts is welcome, albeit vague. This work should include consideration of how Business Improvement Districts can be supported to be their … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government acknowledged the suggestions for additional BID models and stated they would keep them under consideration, but did not commit to a review or to collecting and publishing new examples, instead pointing to existing resources.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
18 Recommendation Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre… Acknowledged

It is important for the Government not just to evaluate the success of the individual...

It is important for the Government not just to evaluate the success of the individual funds, but also to have a clear framework for how the different funds will work together to achieve high street and town centre regeneration at the scale that is required in all the places the … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states it will set out a plan for streamlining the funding landscape this year, including a commitment to help local stakeholders navigate funding opportunities, rather than directly committing to an overarching evaluation framework for its Build Back Better High Streets Strategy.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
26 Recommendation Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre… Acknowledged

We welcome many of the Government’s reforms to business rates, in particular the more frequent...

We welcome many of the Government’s reforms to business rates, in particular the more frequent revaluations and the 12-month holiday from increases arising from investing in improvements. But we are concerned that they do not amount to long-term or fundamental reforms that will make a significant difference to high street … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the need for business rate reform, outlining existing measures such as 3-yearly revaluations and a completed technical consultation. It highlights current support through the 50% relief and an extended multiplier freeze but does not explicitly set out a plan for when the …
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Oral evidence sessions

5 sessions
Date Witnesses
5 Jul 2021 Kate O'Neill · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Luke Hall · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Paul Scully · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy View ↗
10 Jun 2021 Professor Carlos Moreno · Panthéon Sorbonne University, IAE Paris, Professor Chan Heng Chee · Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities, Professor Ricky Burdett · London School of Economics View ↗
13 May 2021 Darren Pearce · Sheffield Meadowhall, Lee Frankham · BT Group, Nigel Connor · JD Wetherspoon, Sir John Timpson CBE · Timpson Group View ↗
11 Jan 2021 Cllr Mark Crane · District Councils Network, Martin McTague · Federation of Small Businesses, Paul Swinney · Centre for Cities, Ros Morgan · Heart of London Business Alliance, Scott Corfe · Social Market Foundation View ↗
2 Nov 2020 Dominic Curran · British Retail Consortium, Michael Wheeler · Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers, Professor Aude Bicquelet-Lock · Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), Professor Cathy Parker · Manchester Metropolitan University, Robin Osterley · Charity Retail Association, William Grimsey · Grimsey Review View ↗

Who gave evidence

21 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Cllr Mark Crane · Lead for Economic Development District Councils Network 1
Darren Pearce · Centre Director Sheffield Meadowhall 1
Dominic Curran · Policy Adviser - Property British Retail Consortium 1
Kate O'Neill · Director of Policy, Cities and Local Growth Unit Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government 1
Lee Frankham · Retail Director, EE & BT BT Group 1
Luke Hall · Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government 1
Martin McTague · National Vice Chair Federation of Small Businesses 1
Michael Wheeler · Political Officer Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers 1
Nigel Connor · Company Secretary JD Wetherspoon 1
Paul Scully · Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Labour… Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 1
Paul Swinney · Director of Research Centre for Cities 1
Professor Aude Bicquelet-Lock · Deputy Head of Policy and Research Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) 1
Professor Carlos Moreno · Scientific Director of the Chair «Entrepreneurshi… Panthéon Sorbonne University, IAE Paris 1
Professor Cathy Parker · Co-Chair, Institute of Place Management, & Profes… Manchester Metropolitan University 1
Professor Chan Heng Chee · Chair Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities 1
Professor Ricky Burdett · Professor of Urban Studies, Director of LSE Citie… London School of Economics 1
Robin Osterley · Chief Executive Charity Retail Association 1
Ros Morgan · Chief Executive Heart of London Business Alliance 1
Scott Corfe · Research Director Social Market Foundation 1
Sir John Timpson CBE · Chairman Timpson Group 1
William Grimsey · Author Grimsey Review 1

Correspondence

4 letters
DateDirectionTitle
17 May 2022 To cttee Letter from the Parliamentary Under Secretary for Levelling Up, the Union and C…
29 Mar 2022 To cttee Letter from the Chair to the Minister for Levelling Up, the Union and Constitut…
20 Jul 2021 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government and the Minis…
8 Sep 2020 To cttee Letter from the Minister of State for Housing to the Chair dated 23 July 2020 c…