Agenda item

Proposer: Councillor Hughes

         Seconder: Councillor L Giles

“THIS COUNCIL BELIEVES that healthy High Streets are essential for community cohesion, civic pride, employment, shopping, services and leisure. But many shops and businesses were struggling even before the COVID-19 pandemic!

According to the Office of National Statistics, between 2015 – 2018, High Street Retail Employment fell in more than ¾ of local authorities. Also, even before the pandemic, more than 50% of all UK consumers were shopping online.

THIS COUNCIL NOTES that Retail is among the sectors most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with Retail Workers being on the frontline of the crisis throughout. During 2020, the almost complete shutdown of non-essential shops hit businesses hard, whilst the need for social distancing also changed the way many businesses operate - all leading to reduced footfall. In many cases, the pandemic has accelerated what has been a longer trend of lower footfall and changing shopping habits. Indeed, a decade ago, the ‘Portas Review’ acknowledged that, if High Streets are to adapt and survive, their form and function needs to change radically.

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, 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.

THIS COUNCIL REQUESTS THE LEADER TO:

? Write to the Government to urge them to undertake an urgent review of Business Rates in order to support high street businesses to recover from the pandemic; and level the playing field between on-line and High Street businesses, to make it fair and sustainable for all.

And invites the Executive to consider:

? Sign up to the Co-operative Party’s Unlock the High Street Campaign and explore what local action can be taken now to revive Sandwell’s High Streets, whilst Business Rates are reviewed.

? Sign up to the Co-operative Party’s campaign to Devolve Funding (e.g. 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 on how such funding is spent in their area.

? Explore the creation of Community Improvement Districts to reconnect communities with the levers that drive economic development in Sandwell’s Town Centres, to create an equal partnership of business and community organisations, in order to galvanise action at a local level.

? Make public any data held by Sandwell Council on ownership of high street properties (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 Section 215 Planning Enforcement powers where empty units are attracting antisocial behaviour and/or creating an eyesore on the High Street

? Contact Landlords of vacant premises proactively (working with Chambers of Commerce, Landlord Associations and BID managers) to explore and/or encourage alternative rental models (e.g. turnover rather than market rent) to enable new Co-operatives, SMEs, Social Enterprises and Community Businesses to set up and open their doors on Sandwell’s High Streets.”