Mary Portas’ scheme to reduce retail vacancy rates and breathe life back into town centres is failing, a prominent retail expert claims.
Bill Grimsey (pictured, right) says the Government-backed plans for rejuvenation are “over-promising and under-delivering”, and has called on new High Streets minister Penny Mordaunt to address the issues which continue to stifle growth within town centres.
According to Grimsey, the former chief of Wickes and Iceland, towns designated “Portas Pilots” now have 53 more empty shops within their centres than when the scheme was set up – proof in his eyes that the Portas Review’s initiatives have failed.
His also claims that, rather than investing funds meant to rejuvenate the high street into business initiatives and infrastructure improvements, a number of the Pilot Towns chose to squander the money on short term gimmicks.
He says; “Ministers should stop exaggerating progress while tinkering in the margins.
“Let’s just look at the facts – there are over 40,000 empty shops in the UK, a figure that’s remained stubbornly high for years. High Street footfall is down on last year and retail insolvencies have just hit a five year high.
“The British Independent Retailers Association has also reported that sales are down for small shops this year – does this really point towards high street resurgence?”
Grimsey, who was recently appointed as a high street advisor for the Labour party, released his own alternative review in which he called for town centres to become “community hubs” rather than simple retail destinations.
This would see healthcare, education and office space take up empty units on the high street, providing a reason for consumers to visit town centres once more. He has also called for 1 million small businesses to made exempt from business rates.
Grimsey remains convinced that this approach, along with improving the housing stock within major town centres, is the most proactive method of tackling high street vacancy rates whilst simultaneously protecting retailers and boosting local economies.
He concludes; “For many high streets this is the only chance they have of survival.
“They [the Government] will have to look beyond retail where leisure, culture and health, for example, alongside much needed housing, is the only way to bring back the footfall to support shops.”
