Revitalising Town Centres and High Streets

Our town centres and high streets are the beating heart of our local communities. Places that people become attached to and places that can support local economic, social and environmental needs

Liberal Democrats recognise our town centres and high streets are suffering with too many empty as a result of the cost of living crisis and economic mismanagement.

As Liberal Democrats, we believe that, to create a successful town centre, it must be:

• Fair: Welcoming spaces that are socially inclusive and accessible to everyone.
• Economically successful: Places that feel alive with opportunity, where independent businesses thrive day and night, weekday and weekend and resilience is built through a diversity of uses.
• Social: An opportunity to connect, for all ages and backgrounds, with activities and infrastructure that supports health, wellbeing and community pride.
• Local: Rooted in the needs of local people, supporting local businesses, and creating meaningful jobs, especially for young people building their futures.
• Sustainable: Designed for the future with clean transport options, green spaces, and with inbuilt climate resilience.
• Clean and safe: Environments where people feel secure and comfortable spending time and where businesses have the confidence to locate.

Liberal Democrats wish to reimagine town centres, not as relics of the past but as places for everyone to live, connect and belong, places that inspire local pride for generations to come. With the limited available improvements will also need to involve the co-operation and commitment of the retailers and the local people in each area of the borough. Liberal Democrats promise to work in partnership with those partners.

Nationally Liberal Democrats are advocating

• A temporary emergency cut to VAT.
• Reforming business rates to reward occupancy and community value.
• Encouraging homes above shops to increase footfall and improve community safety.
• Establishing a High Street Culture and Community Fund delivered in partnership with the Arts Council and local authorities to give ongoing support to community-led cultural initiatives and local events
• Making it easier to convert vacant units into community hubs, without full planning change of use.

Here in Hillingdon Liberal Democrats will

• Will discourage anti-social behaviour by seeking to build features that  into the design of town centres such as strategic lighting
• Create partnerships with the businesses and residents in the various shopping centres of the borough to allow consultation and encourage voluntary efforts to enhance and embellish our high streets
• Create an Amazing High Street prize awarded the most improved shopping centre, rewarding the efforts of these partnerships
• Encourage street cultural events and street markets in different parts of the borough to encourage more visits to high streets
• Encourage the establishment of community facilities in the High Street in partnership with the health service
• Investigate the impact of rising parking charges as a deterrent to visiting high streets and seek to introduce greater flexibility to encourage visiting at off peak times.