Local growth minister Mark Prisk has announced he will set up a Future High Streets Forum to help implement new ideas and policies in line with recommendations from Mary Portas’ review of the high street.
The forum will be made up of retail, property and business leaders and will function as an advisor to the country’s 27 Portas Pilots and 330 Town Team Partners which emerged from the Portas review.
This new organisation will offer advice on how to adapt to an era of online shopping and how to deal with changing consumer habits.
The forum will also help the Government develop policies with practical solutions to help town centres to adapt and change.
This will include parking solutions, promoting pop-up shops in vacant spaces, and the reinforcement of ‘town centre first’ planning rules.
The forum will be co-chaired by the minister and Alex Gourlay, chief executive health & beauty division at Alliance Boots, and will draw on the expertise of experienced members of the retail industry, academics and trade organizations.
Members include representatives from: John Lewis, the British Retail Consortium, the British Property Federation, the British Council of Shopping Centres, the Association of Town & City Management and the Association of Convenience Stores.
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