Here we take a closer look at how to make best use of the Government’s announcement of £50 million of funding for reopening high streets.
The Reopening High Streets Safely Fund launched on May 24th is aimed help councils in England introduce a range of safety measures to assist in kick-starting local economies by getting customers back in to town centre businesses. The money is being paid to local authorities to allocate to towns within their area. Initial guidance on making the most of eligible activities for this funding for reopening high streets, is explained below.
Planning for safer town centres
This new funding for reopening high streets, recognises the need to swiftly put a plan in place for creating safe and welcoming town centres. Rightly, local authorities are encouraged to achieve widespread buy-in to such a plan and its delivery by engaging with business groups, town councils and other key stakeholders. Local authorities are directed to consider the High Streets Task Force’s COVID-19 Recovery Framework and other recent guidance on the practicalities of reopening town centres. Eligible expenditure includes the additional salaries of staff or consultants employed to develop this work.
Communicating clearly
The public are likely to feel confident in using town centres where guidance on the safe use of the town centre is communicated consistently and clearly. The government funding for reopening high streets recognises this and includes the following examples of communication activities to reassure customers that it is being managed successfully and safely:
- online and digital;
- media and press activities; and
- print and publications such as posters and leafleting campaigns
Guiding small businesses
The current crisis provides a need and opportunity to engage collectively with town centres and this is an important part of providing consistent standards and customer reassurance across a town centre. Business-facing awareness raising on maintaining social distancing is, for example, eligible for the new funding for reopening high streets. Such campaigns should be focused on supporting small, independent businesses and especially those that operate alongside public spaces.
Managing safe and welcoming public spaces
The new government funding for reopening high streets, recognises the increasing importance of managing public spaces in safe and welcoming ways. The funding can be used to increase the level of safety measures, improve their attractiveness and ensure consistency of approach across public spaces including streets. Local authorities are directed to manage these changes in line with government guidance on Safer Public Places and other advice included in this this downloadable checklist for managing town centre streets and public spaces in 2020.
Activities excluded from the funding for reopening high streets
There are three main categories where activities cannot be supported by this particular funding for reopening high streets:
- Activity that provides no additionality; e.g. existing salary of a communications officer, but it can support a new temporary role to support the implementation.
- Capital expenditure; permanent changes to the physical environment are not eligible, although temporary changes may well help test long-term enhancements.
- Grants to businesses; funding cannot provide direct financial support to businesses to make adaptations to premises, purchase goods or equipment or offset wages or other operating costs.
Promptly preparing local funding agreements
Time is of the essence in agreeing and then rolling out this new funding as town centres progressively re-open in June and July. The government hopes to agree the detail for this new funding for reopening high streets in a funding agreement with all local authorities by the end of June, 2020. Expenditure can then be reimbursed for eligible activity undertaken from June 1st.
Levels of funding per town
The money will be allocated to councils on a per capita basis and details of the exact amount set-aside for each local authority can be found in the appendix of the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund guidance.
Further practical help and support
The People & Places provides a wide range of information on practical help and support in this recent blog on reopening town centres, including:
- a free, downloadable checklist for managing town centre streets and public spaces in 2020 that has been prepared by People & Places to help guide councils, town partnerships and key stakeholders wishing to work together in re-opening town centres.
- details of how the People & Places Partnership can provide its national know-how to help towns across the country through offering COVID-19 recovery planning support, including planning for safer and welcoming town centres as part of this new funding.
For full details of this new government funding for reopening high streets, download the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund guidance published on May 24th.
