The government has on Thursday launched a long-term plan to support the evolution and regeneration of high streets as Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged investment to tackle inequality in parts of Britain, setting out his vision for a 'levelling up' strategy.
The Build Back Better High Streets Strategy is termed as a key part of Johnson’s plans to help 'left-behind' areas of Britain, one of the main pledges he made at the 2019 election, when he won a large majority by targeting traditional opposition Labour-supporting voters in northern and central England.
In a speech which touched on crime, education, transport, housing and green technology, Johnson raised the prospect of devolving more power to smaller regions of Britain to speed up an agenda slowed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
But critics said there were few specifics on how he will 'level up' areas which have for decades felt ignored by successive governments, which have often targeted spending in southern England, beyond a broad theme of more investment.
“There is no intrinsic reason why one part of this country should be fated to decline or indeed fated to succeed,” he said in a speech at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre in the central English city of Coventry.
"The towns and cities that people say have been left behind have not lacked for human ingenuity ... all they need is the right people to believe in them to lead them and to invest in them and for government to get behind them and that is what we are going to do."
But in a move to quieten concern in his governing Conservative Party that the government is abandoning its traditional voter support base in southern England, Johnson also said he did not "want to level down".
“Levelling up is not a jam-spreading operation, it’s not robbing Peter to pay Paul, its not zero sum, it’s win-win for the whole United Kingdom.”
The British economy is dominated by London and the southeast and a 2020 report for the government found that gaps in economic productivity between the capital and other regions of Britain were as wide as they were in 1901.
Many governments have vowed, and failed, to bring more jobs and prosperity to the areas around the former industrial towns in northern England, and Johnson said he wanted to see local leaders work harder to attract more investment to create jobs.
But beyond a call to produce more of the raw materials for batteries in electric cars, critics say his plans lack detail. When asked about the lack of detail, Johnson said he had presented an outline of what his government would do and later his spokesman said he “gave a very clear explanation” of the strategy.
“Far from levelling up, it’s clear Boris Johnson is just making it up as he goes along,” said Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey.
“This rambling speech does nothing for the millions of people who work hard and play by the rules but are still let down by this Conservative government.”
As part of the high streets strategy, councils in England will be given the power to take over derelict buildings through compulsory purchase orders so they can be converted into new homes if property owners stall on regeneration plans.
Councils will also be encouraged to use existing powers to convert empty offices into housing, and empty shops will be transformed into entertainment venues or new businesses without the need for planning permission.
A total of 15 Town Deals, worth £335 million, have also been confirmed on Thursday which will fund community regeneration projects including repurposing empty shops on high streets, creating new public spaces, transforming a riverfront area into a community hub with entertainment and leisure venues, and creating a new digital enterprise and learning centre.
Town Deals have now been offered to all 101 places that were invited to develop proposals.
“As we build back better from the pandemic, we are transforming our high streets across the UK into the kind of vibrant places we will want to visit, work and call home for generations to come,” Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said.
“This strategy sets out a vision for entrepreneurship to thrive, where local shops and businesses are supported with permanent al fresco dining, derelict eyesores transformed into quality homes and new hubs for business and entertainment encouraged.”
Government funding will be available to save at-risk local pubs, theatres, post offices, sports grounds and corner shops, allowing community groups across the UK to bid for up to £250,000 in matched funding from the £150 million Community Ownership Fund.
The streamlined pavement licensing system will be extended for 12 months across England, with an intention to make this permanent, so more shops, cafes and restaurants can make use of outdoor areas.
