High Streets Task Force
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| High Streets Task Force | |
|---|---|
| Name | High Streets Task Force |
| Formation | 2020 |
| Type | Advisory body |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Region served | England, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| Leader title | Director |
| Parent organization | Local Government Association |
High Streets Task Force The High Streets Task Force is an advisory and support body established to assist local authorities and town centres in the United Kingdom with the regeneration and sustainable management of traditional retail and mixed‑use districts. It operates at the intersection of policy, planning and place‑making to advise stakeholders such as Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Heritage England, Historic England and national funding bodies. The Task Force engages practitioners from Local Government Association, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Royal Town Planning Institute and civic partnerships to translate strategic programmes into site‑level interventions.
History
The Task Force was created in the wake of widespread concern about declining footfall and vacancy rates in British high streets following structural shifts associated with e-commerce, the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, and the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its establishment drew on precedents including the Town and Country Planning Association’s models, the National Association of Local Councils’ place‑based support schemes, and evaluations of programmes like the Portas Review and the High Streets Heritage Action Zones. Founding partners included the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Local Government Association and the Historic England network, with leadership informed by practitioners from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the British Property Federation.
Mission and Objectives
The Task Force’s mission emphasizes resilient, inclusive, and heritage‑sensitive town centres, supporting alignment with initiatives led by National High Street Task Force, Future High Streets Fund, Levelling Up Fund and regional development agencies. Core objectives include reducing vacancy, enhancing public realm aligned with standards from Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation, promoting adaptive reuse consistent with guidance from Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and strengthening local governance capacity drawn from Local Enterprise Partnerships and combined authority practice.
Structure and Governance
Operating as a partnership hosted by the Local Government Association, the Task Force combines a central secretariat with a network of place leads, technical specialists and peer mentors recruited from institutions such as the Royal Town Planning Institute, the Chartered Institute of Housing, the Institute of Historic Building Conservation and the Royal Society of Arts. Governance includes advisory boards reflecting representation from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, devolved administrations of Wales and Northern Ireland, and stakeholder bodies including the National Lottery Community Fund and the Federation of Small Businesses. Its reporting lines intersect with scrutiny from select committees in the House of Commons.
Programs and Initiatives
Programmatic workstreams mirror models developed by bodies like the Civic Trust, the Prince’s Foundation, and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Notable initiatives include peer‑to‑peer place diagnostics, capacity‑building workshops drawing on the Royal Town Planning Institute’s curriculum, pilot schemes for high‑street retrofit inspired by Energy Saving Trust standards, and heritage‑led regeneration trials coordinated with Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The Task Force also facilitated strategic investment plans compatible with bidding criteria for the Future High Streets Fund and developed toolkits in partnership with the British Retail Consortium and the Town and Country Planning Association.
Funding and Partnerships
Funding derives from a mix of central programmes linked to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, grant support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and contract work with combined authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships. Strategic partnerships include collaboration with the Local Government Association, policy input from the Institute for Government, and technical delivery partners such as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply. The Task Force supplements public funding through philanthropic support from foundations like the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and stakeholder contributions from trade bodies including the British Retail Consortium and the Federation of Small Businesses.
Impact and Evaluation
Evaluations draw on methodologies used by the National Audit Office, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, and academic assessments from institutions such as the School of Advanced Study and the University College London Bartlett School of Planning. Reports highlight work in towns that reduced vacancy rates, supported conversion of vacant retail units into residential and community uses in line with Permitted development rights case studies, and improved management of conservation areas modeled on Historic England guidance. Outcomes are benchmarked against indicators used by the Office for National Statistics and monitored through case studies aligned with precedents like the Portas Review.
Criticism and Challenges
Critics reference tensions noted in reviews by the National Audit Office and commentaries from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, arguing that policy fragmentation among the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, devolved administrations, and local partners can limit delivery. Challenges include inconsistent resourcing across combined authorities, constraints posed by regulatory frameworks such as planning permission regimes, and disputes over balancing commercial viability with conservation priorities advocated by Historic England and community groups like the Town and Country Planning Association. Observers from the Federation of Small Businesses and the British Retail Consortium have also pointed to the need for clearer metrics and longer‑term capital pipelines similar to those used by the Future High Streets Fund.