This Council notes that retail is among the sectors most affected by the coronavirus pandemic and retail workers have been on the frontline of the crisis throughout. The almost complete shutdown of non-essential shops between March and June 2020 has hit businesses hard, and the need for social distancing has changed the way many businesses operate, reducing footfall. The pandemic has accelerated what, in many cases, has been a longer trend of lower footfall and changing shopping habits. As the Portas Review a decade ago acknowledged, the form and function of many high streets needs to radically change if they are to adapt and survive. This Council welcomes the willingness of Government to acknowledge the problems and come forward with initiatives in response to these challenges such has the furlough scheme, the Covid support business loans, and the High Street Taskforce. However, as the Treasury Select Committee stated in 2019, the current system of Business Rates places an unfair burden on “bricks and mortar” businesses compared to online ones, and the Business Rate system needs radical overhaul.
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This Council resolves to:
· Write to the Government to urge them to undertake an urgent review of business rates in order to support high street businesses recover from the pandemic and level the playing field between online and high street businesses, to make it fair and sustainable for all.
· Sign up to the Co-operative Party’s Unlock the High Street Campaign and explore what local action can be taken to revive our high streets now whilst business rates are reviewed.
· Sign South Kesteven District Council up to the Co-operative Party’s campaign to devolve the Towns Fund, Levelling Up Fund, UK Shared Prosperity Fund and other national funding pots, to give local communities, councils and regions the ultimate say in how it is spend in their area.
· Explore the creation of Community Improvement Districts to reconnect communities with the levers that drive economic development in town centres and create an equal partner-ship of business and community organisations to galvanise action at a local level.
· • Make any data held by the council on ownership of high street properties public and in an accessible format, so that community groups seeking to buy empty shops through a community share offer have the information they need to do so.
· Make full use of S215 planning enforcement powers where empty units are attracting antisocial behaviour or creating an eyesore on the high street.
· Proactively contact landlords of vacant premises (and work with Chambers of Commerce, Landlord Associations and BID managers) to explore meanwhile use options and/or encourage alternative rental models (e.g. turnover rather than market rent) to enable new cooperatives, SMEs, social enterprises and community businesses to open their doors on the high street.”
Minutes:
The motion, as set out in the agenda, was proposed and seconded.
Councillor Charmaine Morgan urged Members to support her proposal as it was important to all Members and residents to do as much as possible to maintain High Streets.
During debate of the proposal the following points were raised:
· South Kesteven District Council had been proactive in the regeneration of the high street, with a successful bid for £5million from the Future High Streets Fund.
· Great support from InvestSK Ltd to seek further bids had been received.
· Work was being undertaken to encourage a pedestrian area within Grantham Town Centre.
· The Government review of Business Rates was integral, Members felt it was prudent to wait for the outcome, which was anticipated to be in late 2022.
· The proposal did highlight a huge national issue with many challenges.
· With families finding costs continually rising, the cheaper option, which was often by making an online purchase was the more cost effective one.
On being put to the vote, the proposal was LOST.