Friday, March 30, 2012
The Government has today published its response to the Portas
Review.
Housing Minister, Grant Shapps, has announced what he has
described as a 'Portas-Plus' response from the Government,
including:
- A multi-million pound High Street Innovation Fund - kick
started by £10 million of taxpayers' money focused on bringing
empty shops back into use - which, if supplemented by both councils
and landlords, could see £30 million going to support new business
start-ups whilst bringing empty High Street properties back into
use;
- A £1 million Future High Street X-Fund, which will be awarded
in a year's time to the locations which deliver the most creative
and effective schemes to revitalise their high streets;
- A National Markets Day, launching a National Markets Fortnight,
to celebrate the role markets can play, help aspiring entrepreneurs
try out their business ideas, and encourage more visitors to town
centres;
- A £500,000 fund for Business Improvement Districts, to help
Town Centres access loans for their set-up costs;
- Launching a further round of Portas Pilots, to trial some of
Mary's recommendations and come up with new ideas to breathe life
into under-used high streets. This is in response to the massive
interest from hundreds of locations across the country, sparked by
the competition for the first wave of 12 pilots launched last
month;
Mr Shapps also announced that the Government would reform
current planning rules to allow the conversion of space above shops
to two flats, rather than the current limit of one.
The full Government response can be found
HERE.
For reference, Mary Portas' original report can be found
HERE.
A press release from the DCLG can be found HERE.