Plaudits for Portas
Published: 02 February, 2012
Portas Review of the high street wins support from across the industry
The Association of Town Centre Management and UK BIDs, the National BIDs Advisory Service, have welcomed Mary Portas’ recommendation that professional management of the high street should be strengthened.
ATCM works with over 600 town partnerships across the UK and has long been an advocate that successful evolution can only be achieved through local management, co-ordination and strong national policy-making, an approach endorsed by the review.
ATCM chief executive Martin Blackwell, said: “We welcome the debate on how to bring about a new model and vision for our high streets, how we tailor planning policy to encourage investment into our traditional centres, how we create new forms of retailing excellence in the face of weakening consumer confidence and how we create a culture where businesses of all sizes can thrive.
“All the evidence clearly demonstrates that this can only be achieved through strong public and private sector partnerships which provide a basis for the strategic management and leadership of our high streets. When you look at the key players in any town or city centre you realise how incredibly fragmented the situation can be. Strategic town and city management schemes which benefit from long-term investment and credibility can overcome this hurdle and become a driving force for economic growth.
And UK BIDs director Jacquie Reilly said: “This is such an important time for town centres and consequently our members. Our centres need to serve the needs of users much better. This is not possible without a commitment to partnership and co-ordination at local and national levels. Mary Portas has captured this point very well in her vision of town teams who could provide the leadership we need. Town management and Business Improvement Districts are key mechanisms to making this happen. We look forward to working with government to ensure this vision is realised.”
Retailers’ and property owners’ groups also welcomed the key points of the Portas Review. British Retail Consortium director general Stephen Robertson said: “We absolutely agree that high streets make a unique contribution to local neighbourhoods and economies, providing jobs and services and building a sense of community. We’re delighted that Mary Portas recognises that town centres need to evolve as quickly as customer demands change if they’re to remain relevant.
“The report sets out some practical ways to address problems faced by the UK’s high streets many of which go back much further than the economic difficulties of the last few years. Prioritising action on Business Rates and parking is exactly right. These are the key concerns for customers and retailers.
“We agree it would be ‘too easy’ to blame out-of-town retailing for the decline of our high streets. This plan should be about supporting a rich mix of retailing not striking dividing lines between big names and independents or town centre and others. When he acts on this report, David Cameron should not restrict that choice by making life harder for any particular category of retailers.
“The three key words in the report are ‘make things happen’. Let’s see the best of these recommendations acted on quickly.”
And the British Property Federation urged ministers to accept one of the Portas Review’s central findings that would allow landlords to become high street investors by allowing them to contribute to BIDs.
This simple legislative change would allow property owners to match the funding that retailers put in to BIDs, successful vehicles that allow traders to come together to fund improvements in their area.
BPF chief executive Liz Peace said: “BIDs are the embodiment of the ‘big society’, with local businesses giving time and money, often voluntarily, to make their high street a bit special. We are therefore delighted to see Mary recommending greater landlord involvement in BIDs, and also suggesting how they can be further enhanced with new powers, such as on planning.”
