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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

4 items
7 Recommendation Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre… Deferred

We welcome the £65 million for the planning regime announced in the Spending Review towards...

We welcome the £65 million for the planning regime announced in the Spending Review towards a new digital system, though more detail is needed on what this new system will entail. Additionally, this announcement falls significantly short of our previous calls for £500 million over four years for local planning … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the need for upfront investment in skills and capability, stating further detail will be shared in due course, and points to existing capacity funding for local authorities through the Towns Fund and Levelling Up Fund. The planning system strategy details are also …
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
16 Recommendation Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre… Deferred

The Government should keep to its commitment that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will at...

The Government should keep to its commitment that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will at least match receipts from EU structural funds. It should ensure that areas that would have been classed as objective 1 areas had the UK remained in the EU do not 70 Supporting our high streets … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government defers a substantive response on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund's allocation method, stating that details are not included in this response but will be published shortly.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
35 Recommendation Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre… Deferred

While we recognise that some provision of parking to access high streets and town centres...

While we recognise that some provision of parking to access high streets and town centres is necessary for accessibility reasons, strategies for high streets should seek to minimise car use and increase public transport and active travel. The Government should commission a review of the relationship between local authority income … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government deferred a review of the relationship between local authority income and parking fees, stating it will engage with authorities once transport patterns stabilise, but did not address the timeframe for a new data standard or cycle parking in car parks.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
37 Recommendation Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre… Deferred

We welcome government funding for active travel and reiterate our recommendation from our report on...

We welcome government funding for active travel and reiterate our recommendation from our report on local government and the path to net zero that the Government should put funding for active travel on a consistent footing as opposed to a competitive basis. The Government should publish how additional funding for … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government deferred the recommendation to put active travel funding on a consistent footing and ringfence funds, stating it will consider this carefully when deciding future allocations.
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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…