Westminster Life: Investing in our high streets

Our high streets are more than just places to shop. They’re where we meet friends, access services, run businesses, enjoy our pubs and cafés, and build a sense of community, writes North West Cambridgeshire MP Sam Carling.

That’s why the Labour Government’s £210 million package to breathe new life into England’s high streets matters.

Too many communities have watched familiar shops close, buildings stand empty and important local assets fall into decline. We know the difference a thriving high street can make. And we also know how quickly decline can undermine confidence in an area.  

The biggest element is a new £125 million Derelict Buildings Fund, which will help councils transform vacant and neglected buildings into facilities that communities actually need. That could mean turning an empty shop, former cinema or disused building into a community hub, workspace, cafe, health facility or civic space.

For our area, that creates an opportunity to think differently about buildings that have been empty for too long. Rather than accepting boarded-up premises as inevitable, we can look at what those spaces could become and how they can contribute to a stronger local economy and a more vibrant local community. We saw the incredible impact of what a strong local community can achieve when many organisations, including two pubs, the Admiral Wells and The Jolly Sailor, joined the support effort in dealing with the Holme Fen fire in the summer.

There’s also £65 million to help communities rescue and revitalise valued local assets at risk of closure, including pubs and sports clubs. These are often much more than businesses: they are places where people meet, volunteer, play sport and maintain connections with one another. So, protecting them can have a much wider benefit than simply keeping a building open.

The package also strengthens the powers available to tackle long-term empty commercial premises. £10 million will support High Street Rental Auctions, giving councils greater power to bring properties vacant for more than a year back into productive use. That could provide opportunities for independent retailers, local entrepreneurs and community organisations to establish themselves in premises that might otherwise remain empty.

Of course, funding alone will not transform a high street. We need to make sure investment is targeted at the places and projects that will have the greatest impact, and that local residents, businesses and community organisations have a genuine say in what happens.

The measures announced follow on from an earlier cut in business rates for pubs of 15%, with a further reduction from next April by 20% for pubs, social clubs and live music venues showing that this Labour Government is listening, cares and is doing what it can to support key local businesses and revitalise our high streets.

I would love to hear from you about where you think this money should be spent. What would help to improve your local streets and neighbourhood? Drop me an email at [email protected] and let me know.