Indies Set To Benefit From High Street Health Checker

The document entitled ‘Healthy High Street’ is for high street traders who care about the future of their businesses, it covers a five-minute checklist at the start, followed by more detailed pointers on where to look and how to identify the risks.

If your healthcheck does suggest it’s time for action, the Next Steps section offers ideas to help you start out on the path back to a healthy high street.

Many organisations have welcomed the simple and practical advice it contains and are encouraging businesses and local authorities to use it to assess their own town centres.

Tom Ironside, BRC director of business and regulation, said: “This document offers excellent practical advice for business owners and local authorities. I recommend that retailers use it to measure the health of their high streets and take action to address any signs of decline.

“In order to achieve healthy high-streets retailers need support. We’ve identified eight ways that regulators can help make sure that businesses and consumers see high-streets as an attractive option.

“In particular, Government should keep business and property rates as low as possible. That will help hard-pressed high-street retailers to keep costs down.

“Local Authorities can encourage more shoppers to visit the high-street by reducing car-parking costs. And the police can make the high-street a safer and more pleasant place to visit by cracking down on retail crime and anti-social behaviour.

“There’s a place in British retail for both high-streets and out-of-town centres. This can’t be about favouring one form of retailing over another and the ultimate aim must be the same everywhere - to create great environments in which to live, shop and trade.”

For more information, see www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/business-sectors/docs/h/10-1224-healthy-high-street