Training by local high street experts to help towns modernise

Teams of local experts to advise towns how they can adapt their high streets to changing consumer behaviour.

From September, dedicated teams of local experts will train towns how to adapt their high streets to changing consumer behaviour, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles announced today (2 September 2013).

The training and mentoring is to be targeted at the leaders of 350 ‘town teams’ across the country, which were created following the recommendations of the Portas Review.

Training will:

 

  • encourage towns to carry out high street health checks
  • agree what the town centre ‘offer’ will be to residents and visitors
  • explain how to make best use of planning powers and new community rights to take over closed pubs or shops
  • detail how neighbourhood planning should be used to decide what local areas should look like in the future

The workshops will be provided by dedicated local high street experts from organisations such as the Association of Town and City Management, Centre for Local Economic Strategies and Business in the Community. They will advise town teams how to ‘future-proof’ their towns by looking beyond retail and turn high streets into thriving centres of culture, entertainment and social activity for the future. The training will draw on examples of successful high streets across the country that have developed winning strategies and created busy town centres.

The support is one part of measures put in place by the government to equip local communities with the powers and tools they need to respond to changing trends and develop plans that are the right fit for their communities.

Eric Pickles said:

We have reset the terms to allow high streets to thrive in the digital age with tax breaks for small businesses, a simplified planning system and fairer parking rules.

We’ve also followed many of the recommendations set out in the Portas Review, but it is now for ‘town teams’ to come together and plan what they want from their high streets, not just today, but in 10, 15, 20 years’ time.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all model but with the help of these dedicated local high street experts town teams will have the tools to make the changes they want, and support the high streets of the future.

The workshops will take place across the country and the first ones will be on:

 

  • partnership development
  • planning powers
  • high street beyond retail
  • business improvement district basics
  • running a town team
  • importance of footfall and business planning

These issues have been identified by the Association of Town and City Management as the most pressing when getting towns ready for change.

The programme will run until 2015 and over the next months towns will receive additional tailored support on issues such as:

 

  • running a market
  • digital high street
  • place branding
  • age friendly cities
  • volunteering
  • timebanking
  • understanding investor and developers
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