BCSC 2015 PODCAST: The UK’s high streets have reached a crossroads and must be made fit for purpose, says local government minister Marcus Jones.
In his keynote conference speech at BCSC 2015 today, the minister said: “We have reached a crossroads for the high street and town centres and we need to act to make them fit for purpose for today’s consumers.”
The minister said that with the support of the Future High Street Forum and BCSC he is launching “an important strand of work to look at how we work with local areas to help them”.
On business rates, the minister said: “We are reviewing the future structure of business rates, and will report before the Budget in 2016.”
The minister said he wanted to “remove obstacles for growth and ambition for businesses in the high streets”.
He added that click and collect was boosting a high street revival. “Click and collect has not been an enemy of the high street. It has actually driven people back to the high street. But in some places, there remain large holes in the ground or retail spaces that have seen better days.”
The minister also called for BIDs to have greater influence.
“My vision is for high streets to be vibrant and viable places. This government aims to promote mixed high streets with a stronger range of retail, leisure and residential opportunities.”
Click below to listen to Jones’s speech at BCSC 2015, or head to Estates Gazette’s iTunes channel to download.
