Huge rule change set to revive Britain’s struggling high streets

Labour’s local growth minister Alex Norris writes for the Mirror, saying the new plan will “stop disengaged landlords from sitting on empty properties”

Christmas is just around the corner, and many of us will be thinking about our shopping lists.

Heading down to the high street to shop under the Christmas lights, hot chocolate or mulled wine in hand – it’s a time-honoured tradition.

But in some towns and cities, high streets are not what they used to be. The sight of boarded-up shops has become all too familiar and is anything but festive.

It’s a big problem. One in seven high street shops are currently closed. I’ve seen it – whether out meeting people in my role as Local Growth Minister, going for a jog or walking my dogs. And it’s a scene repeated across the UK – there are clearly far too many empty lots.

High streets should be the beating heart of our communities. But for too long, too many have been neglected.

This doesn’t just look sad – it also means we get fewer services and less choice when we shop. It means fewer job opportunities in the local area and it makes it hard for business to grow.

We need to fix this. That’s why we are taking action to restore high streets to their former glory, by giving councils the powers they need to fill empty shops fast.

From the start of December, councils will have the power to auction off leases for commercial properties that have been empty for more than a year through High Street Rental Auctions.

This will boost the high street through a ‘right to rent’ for businesses and community groups where they can bid to occupy vacant commercial space at auction.

The move will stop disengaged landlords from sitting on empty properties and if they fail to rent out their sites for a long time, councils will be able to rent them out for them.

Right now, despite there being empty lots, high street locations are still too expensive for many small businesses and community groups.

But high street auctions will change all that, opening up space in the heart of our communities and making town-centre tenancies affordable. This will bring business back to the high street, as well as helping give charities and community organisations a boost through greater footfall.

As a former councillor myself, I know how much councils want to get local economies moving again after some tough times. And I also know that these new powers will give them the tools they need to get to work.

And this is not all we are doing to boost high streets and support communities.

In the Budget we announced a range of measures to back small businesses – measures that will help re-energise town centres and drive local opportunities and growth.

We are making £250 million of loans available from the British Business Bank next year, supporting our best and brightest innovators. We’re also ensuring one million small businesses will see no increase in their National Insurance contributions, or else see their bills go down.

And most importantly of all, we are planning to permanently lower business tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure sites, giving a huge boost to shops, pubs, restaurants, gyms and more.

Next year we will publish a new Small Business Strategy, setting out further measures to back the businesses that fuel growth across the country.

We all want to see thriving high streets in our towns and cities – and our changes will be the early Christmas present our high streets need.