Select committee: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 36
Sixth Report - Supporting our high streets after COVID-19
Published 10 Dec 2021
Paragraph 154
Addressed to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee Supporting our high streets after COVID-19 All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We welcome significant government funding for public transport, though we urge the Government to clarify how much of its £3 billion for buses is for covid-19 recovery and how much is for investing in improvements. The Government should embed the accessibility of high streets by public transport—by people of all characteristics and from all backgrounds—in transport policy by: • including accessibility of high streets in the criteria for funding for local transport networks; • including within new guidance on Local Transport Plans a requirement that high streets are adequately served by public transport and that these transport links are affordable and inclusive; and a requirement that Local Transport Plans are integrated with Local Plans; • requiring funding for Bus Service Improvement Plans to be contingent on providing adequate, affordable and inclusive access to high streets; and • including advice on ensuring that high streets are adequately accessible by bus within guidance, promised in the National Bus Strategy, on the provision of economic and socially necessary bus services. • We also reiterate our recommendation from our report on devolution that the Government should consider the case for extending powers for Transport for London-style oversight of local buses to all transport authorities.
From: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, Sixth Report - Supporting our high streets after COVID-19 (HC 37), paragraph 154, 10 December 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 29 March 2022 (deadline 10 February 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government says it welcomes the Committee's report and "shares many of the Committee's key concerns", responding point by point with a mix of agreement, existing measures and commitments to publish further detail.
- On a lessons-learned review, the government "agrees with the Committee on the importance of learning lessons" from the handling of the pandemic and "is committed to doing so", pointing to the public inquiry due to start in Spring 2022.
- On funding, it recognises "the complexity in the existing funding landscape" and "will set out a plan for streamlining the funding landscape later this year", including a commitment to help local stakeholders navigate funding opportunities.
- On changes to the Use Classes Order, it does not accept a sequential test, saying adding one "would undermine the flexibilities introduced to support high streets". It aims to respond on permitted development rights "in due course".
- On an online sales tax, the government "has not decided whether to proceed" and will consider the Committee's issues as part of a consultation open to 20 May 2022.