Retail NI unveils its radical plan to boost our high streets

TRADE organisation Retail NI has launched a plan to improve the province’s high streets, including freezing car parking charges for five years.

Retail NI chief executive Glyn Roberts unveiled the proposals at the Regeneration NI conference at Queen’s University, Belfast.

Speakers included Jake Berry MP, Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Local Growth and High Streets, and Professor Greg Keefe, head of the school of natural and built environment at Queen’s University.

Mr Roberts explained: “Our Regeneration NI report is a radical plan to create 21st century town and city centres, updating our policy priorities and setting out new thinking for Northern Ireland’s high streets.

“Radical thinking needs to be injected into the policy-making process. Too many of our villages, our towns and our cities are testament to a failure in regeneration policy to date.

“For the past 15 years, Northern Ireland has not only had the highest shop vacancy rate in the UK, but nearly double the

❝ Reforming business rates is now a much higher priority than ever before for our members

UK national average.”

Hesaidthefirewhich ravaged Primark — leading to a 60% fall in footfall — had pushed forward the issue of regenerating town centres.

Other proposals in the plan including fixing our system of business rates so that it can also benefit from a 30% cut introduced in England.

Mr Roberts said: “Reforming business rates is now a much higher priority than ever before for Retail NI members and needs to be addressed by an incoming Executive.

“The recent UK Budget announced that English independent retailers would be receiving a rate reduction of one third, with our members receiving absolutely nothing.

“Retail NI members deserve the same as their English counterparts.”