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

2 items
24 Recommendation Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre… Rejected

We also reiterate our recommendation that the Government amend the prior approval process for the...

We also reiterate our recommendation that the Government amend the prior approval process for the class MA right so that councils, in deciding whether to approve development, can consider the impact of a loss of ground-floor commercial, business and service use on the sustainability of a town centre or high … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejected the recommendation to amend the prior approval process for Class MA rights, stating the current balance is appropriate and further changes would make the process too onerous.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
25 Recommendation Sixth Report - Supporting our high stre… Rejected

Housing has a valuable role to play in mixed-use high streets, but we are not...

Housing has a valuable role to play in mixed-use high streets, but we are not convinced that extending permitted development rights from Use Class E to residential is the right way to address either the housing shortage or the regeneration of high streets and town centres. We are concerned that … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejected the recommendation for an evaluation of permitted development rights' impact on high streets, reiterating its aim to support housing delivery and diversify high streets through these rights.
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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…