High noon for failing high streets

In a bid to revive our ailing high streets, the Labour Party has dug up a ten-yearold plan sketched out on the back of a Harvey nicks carrier bag by former consumer guru Mary Portas.

Under the proposals, Labour would hand local councils new powers to revamp any disused stores which have been vacant for at least 12 months. Into what? They were a bit short on detail, but shadow chancellor anneliese Dodds believes it would kickstart the post-pandemic recovery in town, village and city centres.

It would also put the kibosh on Government plans to make it easier for developers to turn empty high street shops into cheap homes, she said. But isn’t affordable housing exactly what the Labour Party should be campaigning for? and surely having residential areas in depleted city centres is what might be needed to bring vibrancy and life back into the dead-end gulches they almost certainly will become?

Once upon a time, yes, there was a case for reduced rents to encourage independent traders into city centres. But who will be brave enough to start a new business and pay a big rent in a post-pandemic world?

Turning empty shops into muchneeded housing is the first step in bringing consumer demand — and indeed consumers — into the heart of our towns and cities.

With the help of online shopping and internet banking, high streets will never be the same again, anyway. We have to think of a different way to solve the problem, not just a different shop.