Recommendation 88

Multiple Government departments are involved in work on the country’s high streets. The funding programmes we heard about during the course of this inquiry included a range delivered by the now Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and are detailed in Appendix 4. The majority of these are managed by MHCLG. The Department of Business and Trade and the Treasury all manage policy areas, including taxation, which influence the retail sector, and wider high street, as well. 167 The Association of Town and City Management emphasised a need for “breaking down silos between different Government departments to develop holistic strategies that address the various multifaceted challenges” facing high streets. 168 97 Ordnance Survey, ‘The geography of Britain’s high streets’ (3 January 2023): https://www. ordnancesurvey.co.uk/insights/the-geography-of-britains-high-streets [accessed 9 September 2024] 98 Q 130 (David Rudlin) 99 ‘Physical retail fights back: how high streets are regaining their purpose’, Savills Impacts (July 2023): https://www.savills.com/impacts/ market-trends/physical-retail-fights-back-how-high-streets-are- regaining-their-purpose.html [accessed 9 September 2024] 100 Oral evidence taken before the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, inquiry on High streets and town centres in 2030 , 9 October 2018 (Session 2017–19), QQ 40–120 (Tom Ironside et al); High streets in towns and small cities: Staines-upon-Thames visit note (22 August 2024): https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/ 45285/documents/224326/default/ ; written evidence from the Charity Retail Association ( HSC0050 ) 101 Written evidence from Frome Town Council ( HSC0065 ); Charity Retail Association ( HSC0050 ) 102 Q 87 (Andrew Tighe) 103 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Business Improvement Districts (November 2014): https://www.gov.uk/guidance/business-improvement-districts [accessed 23 August 2024] 104 Liverpool BID Company, ‘About’: https://liverpoolbidcompany.com /about/ [accessed 9 September 2024] 105 Written evidence from Brighton & Hove City Council, the Brighton & Hove Economic Partnership and the Brilliant Brighton BID ( HSC0029 ) 106 ACS, ‘Local Economy—Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and Town Teams’: https://www.acs.org. uk/local-economy-business-improvement-districts-bids-and-town-teams . [accessed 12 September 2024] 107 HSTF, ‘A state-of-the-art review of Business Improvement Districts in the UK: Setting the agenda for policy, practice, and research’: https://www.highstreetstaskforce. org.uk/resources/details/?id=a5ba7044–0747-4ff9-87f2-906383994275 [accessed 12 September 2024] 108 Q 78 (Kate Nicholls) 109 Q 53 (Michael Weedon) 110 Written evidence from the Institute of Place Management ( HSC0020 ) and Historic England ( HSC0053 ) 111 Written evidence from Brighton & Hove City Council, the Brighton & Hove Economic Partnership and the Brilliant Brighton BID ( HSC0029 ); ‘Business Improvement Districts celebrate 20 years and £1 billion invested in UK towns and cities’, Institute of Place Management (9 February 2024): https://www.placemanagement.org/news/posts/2024/ february/business-improvement-districts-celebrate-20-years-and-1billion-invested- in-uk-towns-and-cities/ [accessed 12 September 2024] 112 Q 55 (Graham Wilson); NABMA, ‘Markets First—Securing the Future for UK Markets’: https://nabma.com/markets-first-securing-the -future-for-uk-markets/ [accessed 25 September 2024] 113 Q 53 (Michael Weedon) 114 Written evidence from RICS ( HSC0033 ); Q 195 (Mark Dransfield) 115 Q 195 (Amanda Holmes) 116 Q 77 (Josh Westerling) 117 Q 75 (Josh Westerling); supplementary written evidence from Power to Change ( HSC0035 ; HSC0052 ) 118 ‘Who owns the high street?’, EG (16 May 2019): https://www. egi.co.uk/news/who-owns-the-high-street/ [accessed 9 September 2024] 119 Ibid. 120 Q 105 (Councillor Vikki Slade) 121 Written evidence from the Shopkeepers’ Campaign ( HSC0023 ) and Richmond Society ( HSC0044 ); Q 50 (Michael Weedon) 122 Q 42 (Laura Onita) 123 ‘The economics of chicken-shop Britain’, Financial Times (8 December 2023), available at: https://www.ft.com/content/ 1c973989-c44f-4062–88c4-53e7fba0baaa [accessed 9 September 2024] 124 Q 5 (Professor John Tomaney) 125 Ibid. 126 Written evidence from Historic England ( HSC0053 ) 127 Written evidence from Vicky Payne and David Rudlin ( HSC0026 ); High Streets Research Network ( HSC0014 ) 128 High streets in towns and small cities: Staines-upon-Thames visit note (22 August 2024): https://committees. parliament.uk/publications/45285/documents/224326/default/ 129 Q 96 (Councillor Vikki Slade) 130 Q 94 (Councillor Vikki Slade) 131 Q 195 (Mark Dransfield) 132 HSTF, 2020–21: Review of High Street Footfall in England (2021): https ://www.highstreetstaskforce.org.uk/media/opcelyp1/footfall-report-2021-final -for-publication.pdf [accessed 12 September 2024] 133 Q 15 (Professor John Tomaney) 134 Written evidence from Historic England ( HSC0053 ) 135 Supplementary written evidence from Power to Change ( HSC0035 ); the High Streets Research Network ( HSC0014 ); Civic Voice ( HSC0024 ) 136 Q 75 (Josh Westerling) 137 Written evidence from High Streets Research Network ( HSC0014 ) 138 Power to Change, Community Improvement Districts pilot programme: Final report (July 2023): https://www.powertochange.org.uk/wp- content/uploads/2023/07/88-PTC-CID-report-V4-1.pdf [accessed 12 September 2024] 139 Q 70 (David Moynihan, Josh Westerling) 140 Written evidence from Love Wavertree CIC ( HSC0022 ); Civic Voice ( HSC0024 ) and supplementary written evidence from Power to Change ( HSC0035 ; HSC0052 ) 141 Q 212 (Alex Norris MP) 142 Q 210 (Baroness Taylor of Stevenage) 143 Q 207 (Baroness Taylor of Stevenage) 144 Q 204 (Baroness Taylor of Stevenage) 145 Department for Communities and Local Government, The New Deal for Communities Experience: A final assessment—The New Deal for Communities Evaluation—Final report—Volume 7 (March 2010): https://extra.shu.ac.uk/ ndc/downloads/general/A%20final%20assessment%20-%20Executive%20summary.pdf [accessed 4 November 2024] 146 Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Governemnt, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Long- Term Plan for Towns: guidance for local authorities and Town Boards (18 December 2023): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ long-term-plan-for-towns-guidance-for-local-authorities-and- town-boards/long-term-plan-for-towns-guidance-for-local- authorities-and-town-boards#long-term-plan-for-towns-summary [accessed 4 November 2024] 147 Ibid . 148 LGA, ‘How is local government organised?’: https://www.local.gov.uk/our-support/councillor-and-officer-development/councillor-hub/introduction-local-government/how [accessed 12 September 2024] 149 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, National Planning Policy Framework (December 2023) para 90: https://assets.publishing.service.gov. uk/media/669a25e9a3c2a28abb50d2b4/NPPF_December_2023.pdf [accessed 12 September 2024] 150 Written evidence from Dr Cath Jackson et al ( HSC0032 ) 151 ‘Planning Data Update 2024’, Savills (15 January 2024): https://research.euro.savills.co.uk/ united-kingdom/to-publish/planning-data-update-2024.aspx [accessed 20 September 2024] 152 High streets in towns and small cities: Staines-upon-Thames visit note (22 August 2024): https:// committees.parliament.uk/publications/45285/documents/224326/default/ [accessed 20 September 2024] 153 Local Government Association, Licensing Act 2003—Councillor ’s handbook (England and Wales) (30 July 2021): https:// www.local.gov.uk/publications/licensing-act-2003-councillors-handbook- england-and-wales-0 [accessed 12 September 2024] 154 Written evidence from the Budweiser Brewing Group UK & Ireland ( HSC0039 ) 155 High streets in towns and small cities: Staines-upon-Thames visit note (22 August 2024): https://committees.parliament.uk/ publications/45285/documents/224326/default/ 156 David Rudlin et al, High Street: How Our Town Centres Can Bounce Back from the Retail Crisis (London: RIBA Publishing, 2023), p 217 157 Q 47 (Graham Wilson) 158 Supplementary written evidence from the Institute of Place Management ( HSC0062 ); see also Q 13 (Professor John Tomaney) 159 Q 13 (Professor John Tomaney) 160 Written evidence from Historic England ( HSC0053 ) 161 Q 147 (Mark Robinson) 162 Q 161 (Peter Wheelhouse) 163 Q 89 (Kate Nicholls) 164 For example: written evidence from Primark ( HSC0047 ); the LGA ( HSC0019 ); Professor Matthew Carmona ( HSC0006 ) Graham Galpin ( HSC0009 ); supplementary written evidence from Power to Change ( HSC0035 ); supplementary written evidence from the BBPA ( HSC0018 ) 165 Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Capital regeneration projects: accounting officer assessment (updated 30 October 2024): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications /dluhc-accounting-officer-assessments/capital-regeneration-projects-accounting-officer-assessment [accessed 23 August 2024] 166 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, National Planning Policy Framewor k (updated 20 December 2023): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-planning-policy-framework --2 [accessed 23 August 2024] 167 Written evidence from Primark ( HSC0047 ) 168 Written evidence from the Association of Town and City Management ( HSC0057 ) < Back Next > © Parliamentary copyright 2024 A-Z index Glossary Contact us Freedom of Information Jobs Using this website Copyright Privacy notice Cookie policy Cookie Manager House of Lords - High Streets: Life beyond retail? - Built Environment Committee Accessibility Email alerts RSS feeds Contact us Home Parliamentary business MPs, Lords & offices About Parliament Get involved Visiting Education House of Commons House of Lords What's on Bills & legislation Committees Publications & records Parliament TV News Topics High Streets: Life beyond retail? Contents Chapter 4: What policy levers can be pulled?