Does the High Street Have a Future?

Introduction

Pre-Pandemic: High Street Under Pressure

Impact of the Pandemic

High Street symbolic of community well-being,

COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and restrictions to movement accelerated decline of retail but warnings were present before.

Spend good indicator of health in 2019 retailers, sharpest drop in sales for over 22 years.
Two factors:

  1. Decline in trade.
  • Competition out of town.
  • Online shopping growth.
  • Decline in wages.
  • Decline in banks and branches.
  1. Increase in rent and rates squeezing profits of retailers.
  • Flagship stores closing (e.g. Debenhams) catalyse closing of smaller retailers.

What Makes for a Successful High Street?

Key indicators:

  • Strength of retail sector.
    Other factors:
  • Larger office and professional daytime population = higher footfall.
  • Attract more skilled, better paid jobs.
  • Higher spending power.
  • Stronger economies = wider ranges of amenities.
    If you compare the best and worst performing towns:
  • Large cities are in best.
  • More cities from the south of UK.
  • Worst more dependent on manufacturing industries in the past.

Two points important when assessing:

  1. Lockdowns March, November, January 2021 mixed with restrictions.
  2. Application and removal of lockdowns not uniform across the country.

Pandemic has altered the status quo of success, particularly in larger, richer cities because retail is dependent on three types of passing trade or footfall.

  • Commuters working in towns.
  • Day visitors.
  • Local residents.

Lockdown reduced footfall in larger cities with people too frightened to use public transport and loss of the 'shopping days out' concept, more people working from home and a decline in night-time visitors.


Smaller, less affluent declined but by less and were able to bounce back.
Three reasons:

  1. Less affluent sold more essential goods and services.
  2. Office-based employment is lower.
  3. Commuters working from home, shopping locally.

The High Street: What Next?

Last 70 years, retail functions have dominated the High Street. Historically, they were hubs where people could meet, trade, enjoy leisure, find employment.
In future, the retail sector will have a smaller physical footprint on the High Street. Pandemic = a watershed moment and High Streets could be repurposed to reconnect local communities.


To survive, High Streets need to become a place to live, work, relax and shop, expanding residential land use and increasing the quality of experience (more green spaces, fewer cars).

This requires:

  • Devolution of power to local authorities to redesign.
  • Engage communities so redesign reflects their needs and aspirations.
  • Strong leadership from local authorities.
  • Flexibility in planning and taxing.
  • Focus on greening and facilities for pedrestrians and cyclists.

Case Study: Stockton on Tees: Creating a Community Hub

2011 council regeneration plan. Vision an outdoor community centre, which:

  1. Capitalise on history/heritage of town.
  2. Provide a wider offer of retail and business.
  3. Upgrade river front as an attraction.
  4. Develop safe evening leisure and opportunities.

The Future for The Larger Cities? A Postscript:

'Up market' High Streets in large cities likely to stay focused on retail tourism, integrating offline and online shopping. (Click & Collect).

The Government Response - The Way Ahead?

Two things:

  1. Commisioned the High Street's Task Force in 2019 to strengthen local leadership with information advice training etc. including a COVID recovery framework and transformation route-map.
  2. Changes in planning laws letting developers re-develop buildings into residential property.

Taskforce sounds a good idea, planning laws questionable as doesn't focus on creating community hubs.