High street
The Future of town centres
Councils, ‘as the ultimate reserve buyer with wider civic responsibilities’ are likely to end up owning shopping centres, says Richard White. He offers some advice on how to make high streets work.
An online lifeline for Watford's high street
Elected Mayor of Watford, Peter Taylor has announced a new partnership pilot that will see Watford become the UK’s first-ever WhatsApp High Street.
EXCLUSIVE: 'Ridiculous constraints' mar high street fund
Councils may be left out of pocket after spending thousands of pounds on safety measures they cannot claim back from an economic recovery fund, it has emerged.
Where next for high streets and city centres?
The Towns Fund selection process was controversial, but high streets and city centres face a bigger existential crisis. Ann McGauran reports.
How councils can reshape the future of high streets
Local authorities—many of whom are landlords — now have a unique opportunity to regenerate and transform our high streets for the future, say Andrew Knowles and Leena Gillespie.
Retail chiefs call for more rate relief as Sunak considers tax hikes
Retail chiefs have urged Chancellor Rishi Sunak to extend business rate relief just as he plans tax rises to reduce the £2 trillion hole in the public finances.
Helping city centres thrive post-COVID
Concern for our high streets has been exacerbated by the pandemic - but this time it is big cities that are suffering more, says Andrew Carter. If we care about city centres, its down to transport authorities can help
Ministers deny Town's fund cronyism
Ministers have denied allegations that they favoured Conservative areas when they distributed money under the Town's Fund.
Promote localism to save high streets, says updated Grimsey review
Scrapping high street business rates and promoting localism alongside green spaces and fewer cars are crucial if town centres are to thrive after the pandemic, says retail expert Bill Grimsey.
Government extends rules to stop high street evictions
New guidelines have been put in place to stop high street businesses from being evicted over the summer.
£50m coronavirus high street fund unveiled
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published guidance for the ‘Reopening High Streets Safely’ fund.
Councils 'will be ready' to welcome back shoppers
Local authorities will be ready to welcome shoppers back to the high street if retail is allowed to reopen the week after next, the chairman of the District Councils’ Network has said.
Back to the fun part
As councils prepare to reopen high streets with a raft of social distancing measures in place, Diary can’t help wondering whether retail therapy will become the nation’s pastime of choice.
New £50m fund to help councils open high streets safely
Councils will have access to a £50m fund to help prepare for the safe reopening of high streets and other retail spaces.
Reset for the UK’s high streets
The future is upon us and unless we understand the rapidly changing needs, our high streets will lose their purpose, says John Quinton-Barber - and the pandemic will accelerate much of the digital disruption we’ve seen over the last decade.
Tackling the high street challenge head-on
The latest Local Government Association high streets leadership programme highlighted how councils are beginning to plan for a future that is no longer dominated by retail, says Matt Baker.
NHS chief slams 'perverse' planning rules
The chief executive of the NHS has slammed ‘perverse’ planning rules making it easier for fast food outlets to open but placing restrictions on gyms.
DCN in high streets 'emergency' warning
The District Councils’ Network (DCN) has warned Britain’s high streets are in a ‘state of emergency’ as annual retail planning applications have almost halved since 2015.
Town deals cash not guaranteed
Some 100 places across England have been invited to develop plans for new multi-million pound town deals - but the cash is not guaranteed.
