Retail expert and television presenter Mary Portas has presented her review into UK high streets to the Government, setting out 28 recommendations to breathe new life into areas that she believes will "disappear forever" unless urgent action is taken.
Portas has recommended a range of planning policy incentives along with a new tax on car parks in out-of-town malls, as well as free parking in town centres to lure shoppers back to the high street. She also proposes an annual national market day where budding entrepreneurs can try their hand at running a retail business.
The Government said it would now review Portas’ recommendations and publish its response next spring.
Portas said her recommendations aimed to get town centres running like businesses; get the basics right to allow businesses to flourish; level the playing field; define landlords’ roles and responsibilities; and give communities a greater say.
She said: “I believe that our high streets are a really important part of pulling people together in a way that a supermarket or shopping mall, however convenient, however entertaining and however slick, just never can.
“Our high streets can be lively, dynamic, exciting and social places that give a sense of belonging and trust to a community. Something which, as the recent riots clearly demonstrated, has been eroded and in some instances eradicated.”
Prime minister David Cameron, who commissioned the review in May, said Portas had produced a “clear vision on how we can create vibrant and diverse town centres and breath life back into our high streets”.
He said: “The high street should be at the very heart of every community, bringing people together, providing essential services and creating jobs and investment.”
The report by Portas was published alongside new Government commissioned research, ‘Understanding High Street Performance’, which showed that although some High Streets continue to thrive, a third are degenerating or failing.
It found that by 2014 less than 40% of retail spending will be on the High Street and that over the last decade out of town retail floorspace has risen by 30% while in town it has shrunk by 14%.
