Earlier this year the Coalition Government asked the retail expert Mary Portas to conduct an independent review into the state of the UK's high streets and town centres. In the review, published earlier this week, Portas criticised supermarkets for their move into non-food retailing and suggested that the high street should be given greater prominence in neighbourhood planning. Proposals included plans to:
- get local people more involved in Neighbourhood Planning
- promote the High Street in Neighbourhood Plans
- establish Town Teams to develop strategies for the future of High Streets
- allow Business Improvement Districts to take on more responsibility
Read the Portas Review here.