Mill town to host launch of Labour review to rebuild high streets

THE Shadow Chancellor will visit Dewsbury today to launch a review into the future of the nation’s high streets.

Anneliese Dodds’ new commission Rebuilding Our High Streets will “bring together experts from businesses in retail, leisure, and hospitality” as well as trade union representatives and local politicians, according to the opposition.

It comes as figures from Labour show almost 10,000 shops have closed over the last decade.

Some 9,775 shops, 5,785 pubs and 7,400 bank branches have brought down the shutters permanently, Labour said.

The six-month-long commission will examine how high streets can bounce back after the pandemic.

Labour has criticised the Government for changing planning rules to allow commercial units to be redeveloped as housing without the need for full planning permission.

At the time of the change, the

Government said the new rules would “give the high streets and our town centres the best chance of adapting and thriving” postpandemic, but that certain units including pubs, cinemas and concert halls would be exempt to protect them.

Ms Dodds said: “Our high streets have been through a gruelling year, and Conservative changes to planning laws and their failure to reform the broken business rates system mean there are more challenges ahead.

“Labour is determined to deliver a brighter future for our high streets as part of our mission to make Britain the best place to grow up and grow old in.

“That doesn’t mean harking back to a vision of the past, but finding ways to make our town centres places we can be proud of and where communities can come together.”

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government was approached for comment.