Home / Sources / Select Committees / Housing, Communities and Loca… / Supporting our high streets after COVID…
Index live
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

Clear

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

5 items
11 Recommendation Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre… Not Addressed

With hybrid working likely to become more common, co-working spaces may offer an opportunity to...

With hybrid working likely to become more common, co-working spaces may offer an opportunity to attract footfall to smaller high streets and town centres. The Government should consider how co-working office spaces can be taxed fairly so as to stimulate high street business without harming local authority income or BID … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government agrees it is important to consider the impacts of flexible working on high streets and refers to flexible working regulations and a consultation on amending the existing framework, but does not address the specific recommendation on the taxation of co-working spaces.
Read full response →
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
14 Recommendation Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre… Not Addressed

We welcome the Government’s intentions to reform the Compulsory Purchase Order process, which is overdue.

We welcome the Government’s intentions to reform the Compulsory Purchase Order process, which is overdue. The Government must publish further detail on proposed reforms to the Compulsory Purchase Order process without delay, along with timescales for reform. It should set out how it intends to streamline and simplify the process, … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government response discusses existing planning considerations related to flood risk, noise, transport, and conservation areas, along with high street vacancy rates, but does not address the recommendation to publish further details and timescales on Compulsory Purchase Order process reforms.
Read full response →
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
22 Recommendation Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre… Not Addressed

It is clear that the High Streets Task Force is highly prized and should be...

It is clear that the High Streets Task Force is highly prized and should be commended for its excellent work in its first two years of existence, in particularly difficult circumstances. While the focus of the High Streets Task Force necessarily had to Supporting our high streets after COVID-19 71 … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government thanks the High Streets Task Force and other organisations for their work, but does not address the recommendation to review the Task Force's size, remit, and budget with a view to increasing it.
Read full response →
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
23 Recommendation Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre… Not Addressed

We are concerned by the Government’s confirmation that change of use from office to retail...

We are concerned by the Government’s confirmation that change of use from office to retail no longer requires a sequential test to protect main town centre uses, and we welcome the Secretary of State’s recent commitment to us to look again at this issue. We reiterate our recommendation from our … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government did not address the recommendation to amend the use class regime for office-to-retail conversions, instead noting a decline in high street vacancy rates.
Read full response →
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
30 Recommendation Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre… Not Addressed

Building on its fundamental review of business rates, the Government should conduct a full review...

Building on its fundamental review of business rates, the Government should conduct a full review of taxes on high street businesses to ensure that they are fair, fit for purpose in a digital era, and generate economic, environmental, and social value. The review should include an analysis by sector and … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government did not commit to a new, full review of taxes on high street businesses, instead highlighting its completed business rates review and ongoing support through the Towns Fund.
Read full response →
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…