Grimsey unveils 31-point plan for High Street revival
BILL Grimsey, former chief executive of Focus DIY and Iceland, has published a 31-point plan to revive UK High Streets in his alternative review.
Mr Grimsey, who has previously said the Portas Pilots were giving false hope, launched the review after becoming frustrated with current Government policy.
It was trailed with his desire to see large chains pay 0.25% of one year’s sale into a local economic development fund to help sponsor start-ups and new ventures, but more detail on issues such as business rates and planning regulations has now been unveiled.
The report, available to read in full here, makes a number of key suggestions:
– Accept that there is already too much retail space in the UK and that bricks and mortar retailing can no longer be the anchor to create thriving high streets and town centres.
– Set an objective to re-populate high streets and town centres as community hubs encompassing: more housing, education, arts, entertainment, business/office space, health and leisure – and some shops
– The immediate reintroduction of the 2015 business rates revaluation to and freeze business rates from 2014.
– Once revaluations have taken place any future increases should be based on an annualised Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate rather than a one-month snapshot, and from 2017 revaluations must be conducted annually.
– Any business occupying a retail property in the retail core of a town centre that has been vacant for 12 months should receive 50% rate relief for two years.
– Local authorities must hold a public meeting annually to present the 20-year vision, town centre plans and progress made in the year, supported by an annual progress report.
It concluded: “Over the last few months our research has shown there are over 20,000 businesses on the high street at serious risk of failure. We’ve also discovered over 50% of local authorities that responded to FOI requests have no town centre plan of any description. This is a recipe for disaster.
“As we travelled up and down the country visiting town centres and speaking to people about the state of their high street it quickly became apparent that many feel powerless about the changes sweeping through their community. There are over 40,000 empty shops in the UK and a palpable sense that local and central government are doing little to reverse this decline.”
It added: “The change we need to see must be driven by local communities, but supported by central government. This means ministers have to make business rates a fairer tax that doesn’t disproportionately burden smaller businesses. Property values must be realigned and the business rates system needs reforming. At the moment it’s not fit for purpose. Planning and the change of use process need simplifying, and there needs to be a recognition in government that there is too much retail space in the UK.”
Core members of the Grimsey Review team are: Nick Hood from Company Watch; Paul Turner Mitchell, founder of Rochdale-based 25-Ten boutique; Jackie Sadek, chief executive of UK Regeneration; Matthew Hopkinson, director of Local Data Company; Chris Shellard, expert in social and economic policy; and Sid Vasili, chief executive of Invapay. The report will be submitted to the three main political party leaders this autumn.
