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Town centre regeneration blueprints launched by business body

Business rates holidays, temporary outside seating and using the public sector balance sheet to kick-start investment projects, are just some of the measures suggested rejuvenate town centres.

‘The next regeneration: unlocking local growth’ outlines a blueprint for regeneration and is a collaborative report from the CBI and building consultancy EC Harris.

The report proposes: a one-year business rates holiday for firms moving into empty property; planning changes to make it easier to convert empty shops into homes and for cafés and restaurants to introduce temporary outside seating; and using the public sector balance sheet to kick-start investment in building projects.

Authors suggest that local leadership should look beyond short term and parochial interests and political parties should back longterm local funding and growth initiatives.

The report also calls for streamlined planning regulations to make it easier for shops to be converted into housing.

Katja Hall, the CBI’s chief policy leader, said: “To kick-start private sector investment we need to see more creative use of public sector balance sheets and surplus land and property being put to good use.

“All of this will need to be co-ordinated by a strong visionary leader – whether that’s a council chief executive, Local Enterprise Partnership chief or a directly-elected Mayor.”

Tim Neal, UK regional leader, EC Harris, added: “The private sector has an important role to play in fostering the growth of our local economies and creating thriving communities across the country.

“The Government is committed to the more effective pooling of built assets across the public sector, but where deployed imaginatively, it is also possible to use those surplus assets to play a major role in making new regeneration viable for the developer community.

“But none of this will happen without energetic, entrepreneurial and truly collaborative partnerships across public and private sector bodies. The need for clear civic leadership that fosters a sense of ambition for a place and its people; and clearly articulates the local competitive advantage, has never been greater.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .