Debate contribution: High Street and Town Centre Rejuvenation

Debate contribution by Ms Kate Nicholl on 4 November 2024.

MLA

Ms Kate Nicholl

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

4 November 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

High Street and Town Centre Rejuvenation

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4625872

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I beg to move

Thank you, Principal Deputy Speaker. I am glad to propose the motion, which provides an opportunity to discuss further support that we can and should provide to our high streets. Alliance understands that high streets are at the heart of communities in cities, towns and villages across Northern Ireland. From post offices and banks to corner shops, bakeries, cafes, butchers and everything in between, our high streets are places not just of business and commerce but of community connection and social cohesion. They provide jobs, vibrancy, arts and cultural opportunities, essential services and a sense of pride in the places that we call "home". As the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) stated in a recent report:

"High streets are more than just commercial spaces; they are destinations in their own right with the potential to attract tourism, enriching local economies."

However, we all know that our high streets are under enormous pressure and that they are changing. With online shopping, out-of-town retail parks and the challenges of COVID, our high streets have faced enormous volatility in recent years. There is an urgent need to find more creative and innovative policy responses to address challenges, especially for the small, micro, independent, family-owned businesses that dominate our economy. The FSB report on high streets set that out clearly, noting:

"The future of our high streets depends on their ability to adapt, innovate, and thrive in an ever-evolving commercial landscape."

The need for support for micro and small businesses has only increased in the past week, given the impending pressures emerging from the Budget announcements, particularly those on National Insurance contributions and wage increases. The Government claim that the increases are mitigated by the increase in the employers' allowance, but serious concerns remain. Today, Retail NI told me that members are struggling to pay the highest business rates in the UK. That, coupled with increasing employers' National Insurance contributions, will have a negative impact on local jobs and the viability of small businesses and will restrict the growth of our economy.

Retail NI also raised the issue of the Chancellor's announcement of a 40% rate relief scheme for independent retailers and other high street businesses in England. There are growing calls for Barnett consequentials to be used locally in order to offset the National Insurance increase and to allow high street businesses to reinvest more of their money in order to create more jobs and boost our economy. It is on that point that we will be accepting the SDLP amendment. Over the past decade, Governments around the world have introduced various schemes to address the regeneration of town and city streets and centres. In parts of Manchester, after a period of community engagement, Friday night markets were developed to host local businesses, and those drew residents into the town centre for after-work entertainment. Toronto developed its Digital Main Street campaign, which is aimed at increasing the online presence of bricks-and-mortar shops. In central Berlin, public realm works resulted in market squares becoming entertainment and social destinations, with knock-on benefits for local businesses. Lille in France developed a niche as a centre of research and design, leveraging public transport connections to build an international reputation. We have also seen action closer to home. In Scotland, the £50 million town centre fund was launched in 2019 by the Scottish Government and local authorities to help high streets become more sustainable, diverse and successful in the face of significant changes. In 2020, the Welsh Government announced the £90 million transforming towns fund to increase footfall, tackle empty buildings and create green town centres. In the South, the town centre first initiative has been developed to help every town lay the foundations for a locally developed plan to help it reach its potential. When we look globally, we see that there is a wide range of creative solutions to the challenges facing our high streets. In response to local challenges, our Executive established a high street task force in 2022 that presented recommendations on delivering a 21st-century high street. That report recognised a range of challenges and opportunities, including the crucial role played by urban centres in driving economic growth, the need for locally tailored strategies and a wide range of other dimensions that my colleague Connie Egan will speak to in greater detail later in the debate. It was envisaged that the task force would be in place for five years to coordinate TEO's five-year reconstruction plan. Its recommendations have since gathered dust, however, and, all the while, the problems for our high streets have mounted. In response to a question for written answer that I submitted recently, the First Minister and the deputy First Minister acknowledged:

"The scope of the ... recommendations lie within the responsibilities of a number of departments and ... they should be taken forward by a cross-departmental group".

They wrote to the Department for the Economy, the Department for Communities, the Department for Infrastructure and the Department of Finance on that basis on 10 October. It is clear that there are issues that span multiple Departments and that, in an ideal world, we would have all the relevant Ministers in the Chamber to respond. Given the economic imperative of high street regeneration, Alliance is of the view that the Department for the Economy should play a leading role on the cross-departmental working group, especially given the lack of action that there has been from TEO up to this point. What is clear is that there is no shortage of ideas. What we need to do now is deliver. Although there are issues across a range of Departments, Alliance believes that a focus on the Department for the Economy gives us a strong starting point to continue to drive forward the changes that are necessary in order to support our high streets. The Department for the Economy is in a much better position than TEO is to develop an understanding of the effectiveness of high street regeneration efforts and to prioritise the economic challenges that high streets face. It is also crucial that the engagement be not just cross-departmental but with local councils and communities in order to develop an effective, locally owned approach to high street regeneration. High street regeneration is an issue that every Government must grapple with and respond to. As Dr Fei Chen noted in her report on creative engagement for high street regeneration:

"High streets ... need continuous attention to keep them liveable, sustainable and resilient to adverse effects".

The most successful high street regeneration projects emphasise the importance of aligning high street assets with community demand for diverse facilities and retail opportunities, recognising that high streets not only serve commercial purposes but provide an essential community, cultural and educational resource. Although our high street businesses, retailers and tenants face significant challenges, I remain hopeful for the future of our high streets and look forward to working collaboratively with colleagues from across the House and with the Minister on developing a comprehensive strategy to rejuvenate our high streets and town centres.

1,179 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:28 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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