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Interesting article about Town Centres.
Grimsey review previewed
A number of papers carry widespread coverage of the Grimsey Review, which is due to be published later this week. It will warn that two thirds of independent shops on Britain's high streets are in danger of having to close, as they struggle under the pressure of financial problems. Half of the UK's 44,000 retailers are also said to be in financial poor health.
The review will argue that a revival of "old style" high streets now seems "simply foolish". Furthermore it will claim that recommendations made in the 2011 Portas review for the introduction of "town teams", who are responsible for managing the high street, lacks the infrastructure and authority to be effective.
The review describes Ms Portas's recommendations as being too nostalgic and says that she failed to grasp the extent to which the internet has changed shopping patterns. Mr Grimsey will instead recommend the creation of special commissions with "teeth and money" to draw up plans for the future of individual high streets. "We are proposing town centre commissions with 20-year visions for every local authority. The commissions will be in charge of promoting an area and addressing its specific retailing needs, whether that be high-street parking, housing, health or leisure," Mr Grimsey states.
The review adds that in order save town centres, the planning system needs to be reworked to encourage more people to live in them, and that the UK's banking system must change in order to reconnect with local businesses. It also calls for an immediate reverse of a plan to delay a review of business rates from 2015 to 2017.
The Sunday Telegraph, Page: 10 The Sunday Telegraph, Business, Page: l, 6 The Mail on Sunday, Page: 79 Sunday Express, Page: 1 The Independent on Sunday, Page: 10, 11, 41 The Sunday Times, Page: 12 The Observer, Page: 41
Roger
