High streets: sweeping changes to business rates, car parking policies, planning and property law debated by Parliament

The national organisation promoting professional management of the UK’s town centres and high streets has followed up the Mary Portas Review by calling for sweeping changes to business rates, car parking policies, planning and property law.

The Association of Town Centre Management (ATCM) has produced a 10-point Manifesto for Town Centres and High Streets. This encourages support for managers of the UK’s traditional shopping, entertainment, cultural, public service and transport hubs.

The future of town centres and high streets was debated in Parliament on 17 January 2012 after publication of the Mary Portas Review last month. The country's high streets have reached 'crisis point', with shoppers choosing to visit out-of-town retail parks and use the internet instead, reports the BBC.

Watch the debate online on BBC Democracy

Opening a backbench business debate on 17 January 2012, Conservative Marcus Jones said the importance of town centres to the UK economy "could not be underestimated".

Mr Jones told MPs that internet shopping had made a 'dramatic impact' on the industry, with online sales accounting for 12.2% of all retail sales.

High streets needed "a level playing field", he told the Commons, adding that car-parking charges were a "major issue" for many businesses looking to attract shoppers to their local town centre.

'We at least need to put our town centres on a level playing field with other parts of the retail industry. We need to be as innovative as possible to make sure taxes are as low as possible for people who want to operate on our high streets," Mr Jones told MPs.

The debate, tabled by the Backbench Business Committee, followed a government-commissioned review of the country's high streets by television star Mary Portas.

Published last month, Ms Portas' report called for town centres to be run more like businesses, and for red tape to be cut for high street traders.

The majority of speakers in the debate welcomed the Portas review, although Conservative Gareth Johnson criticised the retail guru for being 'disparaging' about out-of-town shopping centres.

Town centres could learn from out-of-town shopping centres, the Dartford MP said, citing the success of the Bluewater shopping centre in his constituency.

Other suggestions for securing the future of the high street included a call for tax incentives for small business from Tory Robert Halfon, while Labour's Ann Coffey urged retailers to embrace online technology.

Offering flexible 'click and collect' services and encouraging customers to browse online from in-store kiosks could encourage more trade, she suggested.

'I don't want to lose the social opportunities that a vibrant town centre and market can offer - but nor do I want to lose the convenience of online shopping. We need to get the balance right for them both to thrive,' Ms Coffey told MPs.

The debate follows a well-attended meeting of the All-party Parliamentary Group for Town Centres held before Christmas which discussed the issues raised by her review and comments from organisations including the Association of Town Centre Management (ATCM) calling for sweeping changes to business rates, car parking policies, planning and property law.

It adds to the growing calls for investment in the first of Portas’ 28 recommendations, at a time when local authorities are cutting their town centre management budgets.

ATCM Chief Executive, Martin Blackwell said: “Mary has highlighted many of the problems town centres face and has properly put management at the top of her shopping list of solutions.

'Unlike a single-owner shopping centre, there is no natural leader for the high street. Local authorities have often assumed the role, but many towns are losing their town centre managers because of budget cuts.

'We hope this Manifesto will help win the argument for continuing with town centre management despite the squeeze.'

The ATCM believes that free parking at out-of-town retail parks and malls disenfranchises people who do not have cars and unfairly undercuts town centres.

'Ending the business rate exemption given to them would give a major boost to the amount local authorities could reinvest in town centres,” said Blackwell, “including giving discretionary rate relief to small businesses.

'The 1954 Landlord & Tenant Act should meet contemporary and future needs and make it easier to identify, contact and engage owners.'

The Manifesto calls for plan-led approaches to economic development that include statutory town centre strategies and are developed through partnerships with businesses, landlords, developers, local communities and consumers of the full range of town centre services.

It calls for attractive, well-managed and safe public spaces with activities and events including general and specialist markets, entertainment and an improved provision of public toilets, especially for women who are currently underserved by the available facilities.

More support is needed to develop supplemental rates-funded Business Improvement Districts which can provide additional services that local authorities are often financially unable to provide.