Policy Report: A Platform for Places

What public policy do we need to revitalise our UK town centres?

We see amazing things happen in town centres when communities with ideas and businesses can easily and cheaply access property. But they often lack access to affordable, secure property.

While councils and asset owners want vibrant town centres that meet post-pandemic environment and social impact objectives, they tend to lack the incentives, networks or resources to collaborate effectively with communities and socially-trading organisations (STOs) to activate their assets.

In this policy report with Radix, we outline five proposals for central government to enable communities, councils and asset owners to form effective partnerships and transform town centres:

1. Launch capital and revenue funds

2. Set out community letting policies for councils

3. Support councils as intermediaries

4. Tackle long-term vacant and derelict assets (last resort tools only)

5. Provide business rates relief for socially-trading organisations (STOs)

Read more:

• Coverage in The Guardian: ‘Government urged to back £350m fund to revive UK high streets’

This report was written by Bex Trevalyan, David Boyle, Frances Northrop, Nick Plumb and Nalin Seneviratne, prepared by Radix, and kindly sponsored by Shoosmiths and Power to Change.