The macroeconomic picture for the UK is mixed and economists expect continuing turbulence due to the ongoing impact of rising interest rates and historically high energy prices. This is already having an impact on the retail environment and that is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
As part of national policy, any property is exempt from business rates if it is subject to a building preservation order or is registered as a listed building under Section 54 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971. This does not provide an incentive to a property owner to seek a tenant and this should be considered as part of the action plan. In addition, although successive governments have pledged to review the business rates system, national business groups including The British Chambers of Commerce and Federation of Small Businesses are calling for significant changes to be made in the way that premises are evaluated. The council will continue to monitor any developments in this area closely.
National support for town centres is available via The High Streets Task Force which has been in place since 2019 and was set up to strengthen local leadership in high streets and town centres in England. It is run by the Institute of Place Management and the council is a member of this institute to enable officers to access training, research, data and best practice
Through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, introduced to Parliament on 11 May 2022, the government is considering the introduction of High Street Rental Auctions, a new power for local authorities to require landlords to rent out persistently vacant commercial properties to new tenants, such as local businesses or community groups. The consultation period for this proposal closed on 22 June 2023 with no further update at the time of writing this action plan.
The National Planning Policy Framework sets out government’s planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied in the context of ensuring the vitality of town centres. Government guidance cites a range of planning tools which can help to support town centres to adapt and thrive, including:
- Local development orders to bring forward development as part of a wider strategy to regenerate a town centre
- Brownfield registers which contain details of previously developed land that is suitable for housing development
- Compulsory purchase powers to support development and regeneration projects
At a local level, these require coordination to identify opportunities for this work to be incorporated into the Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury Strategic Plan and to ensure engagement with the council’s planning peer review action plan. This will ensure a cohesive approach across council services to build in consideration of the issues with vacancies, for example planning, licensing, environmental health and compliance, as well as longer-term development opportunities.
It is important that the council and stakeholders take a holistic approach to the issue of town centre vacancies and consider the wider experiential aspects of visiting Cheltenham town centre (whether as a resident or as a visitor). Guidance from the Grimsey Review into the future of high streets in 2020 recommended, “creating spaces for civic and social use – and encouraging better quality streets, spaces and "third spaces", popular with local people and visitors”.
Similarly, the Arts Council England ‘A High Street Renaissance’ report highlights the positive impact of culture on town centres and encourages investment in the arts as part of the mix of a successful place. Cultural organisations help to build local community spirit and pride and the council’s continued and sustained focus on the cultural sector includes annual grants and in-kind contributions for the financial year 2023/24 of c.£1.9million, as well as membership and support for the Cheltenham Culture Board and promotion of cultural events and venues via Visit Cheltenham.