You will, hopefully, have heard of my “Buy a Gift in Kenilworth” campaign around Christmas, but our High Streets are for every day of the year, and especially this most recent Saturday (16 March), which was High Street Saturday.
High streets have long been a place to bring communities together, a place for local people to access vital services and a place for businesses to thrive. But, I recognise that it is becoming harder for businesses on high streets across the country to compete with out-of-town shopping centres and online retailers. Shop numbers have been steadily declining since at least the 1920s and over many years the ways in which people interact with their high streets and town centres have constantly evolved. High streets have shown themselves to be resilient to change, constantly needing to adapt to meet changing demands. They continue to play a key role at the heart of many communities.
The Government has brought in several measures to support our high streets, including over £10 billion of business rates support since 2016 & cutting small retailers’ bills by a third, funds and schemes providing additional money for councils to look after their high streets worth around £700 million in total, and relaxing planning rules to support new homes on the high street, helping them transform into community hubs where people work, live and shop. We must continue to invest to renew and reshape our town centres and high streets in a way that improves experience, drives growth and ensures future sustainability.
High Street Saturday is just one chance for local people to come together to celebrate and support the high streets at the heart of their local communities, and I hope that our high streets in Kenilworth and Southam can count on your support all year round.
