The Government chose to coincide the unveiling of its £675million Future High Streets Fund with the start of the Boxing Day sales. Let’s hope together they bring short and long-term good news for our town centres!
The Government’s stated objective for the Future High Streets Fund is to help renew and reshape town centres and high streets in a way that improves experience, drives growth and ensures future sustainability. Read alongside the High Street Report published a week earlier, the Fund prospectus offers insights in to the Government’s vision for the future of town centres.
Physical change
The indication from the Future High Streets Fund prospectus is that the Government envisages town centres moving away from solely a retail focus and that it is keen to support physical change to help achieve this. The Fund will support investment in physical infrastructure and the assembly of land for a mix of new housing, workspaces and public realm. Investment in improving transport and traffic flow along with adaptation to changing technology are aimed at improving how customers can access and use town centres.
Proactive processes
The High Street Report gives the views of an expert panel chaired by Sir John Timpson that was set-up by the Government to diagnose issues. Unlike the previous Portas Review it focuses more on proactive processes for bringing about change including the creation of a Task Force as a single voice for town centres. It offers just three short-term, practical recommendations: a ‘National High Street Perfect Day’; innovation from local authorities in working with landlords of empty properties; and pursuit of parking policies that do not ‘drive people out of town centres’.
Collaborative leadership
The High Street report places a strong focus on the role of collaborative, local leadership in developing Future High Streets Fund proposals tailored to local circumstances. Its expert panel advises that the Fund should be targeted at places with a clear vision for their town centre involving collaboration between sectors and community involvement.
Applying to the Future High Streets Fund
High Street Fund applications should be coordinated by local authorities who have until March 22nd to submit an expression of interest for the first round of funding. Applications will proceed to a second stage based on the evidence of a suitable process and leadership provided by defining the place, setting out the challenges and offering an appropriate strategic ambition. In the second stage, successful applicants will receive ‘capacity funding’ to develop their strategic vision and business cases for specific projects. They will be expected to seek additional private and local investment.
Sources of help and inspiration
Local authorities looking to submit applications to the Future High Streets Fund can find helpful advice on collaborative leadership and inspiration on affecting change from the Revitalising Town Centres Handbook published in 2018 by the Local Government Association and written by the People & Places Partnership. This handbook and accompanying on-line toolkit covers key topics pertinent to the application process including defining the place, partnership development, physical change, digital technology and data, parking, access and travel, streetscape and public realm, and forward planning.
