West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker has announced a £10 million investment to help breathe new life into the region’s town and city centre high streets.
The High Streets and Growth Incubator will support the return of boarded-up shops, help high street businesses compete with the growth of online shopping and create more reasons for people to visit and spend time in their local centres.
Funding will be used to improve public spaces, support events, introduce new market stalls and street food venues, and help reduce the region’s high shop vacancy rate. The locations set to benefit will be announced in due course.
The announcement comes alongside new Government measures giving councils greater powers to tackle the growth of vape and betting shops on high streets, including requiring planning permission for new vape shops.
For Downtown in Business, the announcement highlights the continued importance of investment, regeneration and collaboration in creating thriving town and city centres across the West Midlands.
DIB regularly brings together senior business, political and civic leaders to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the region, with high street regeneration, investment, transport and the future of our cities remaining key issues for businesses.
The £10 million fund will complement major regeneration schemes already underway in Coventry, Wolverhampton and Solihull, alongside improvements to public transport and existing initiatives supporting markets, the night-time economy and street food businesses.
The West Midlands Combined Authority is working with the West Midlands Growth Company and councils across Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton to identify the locations that will receive funding.
With the future of our high streets continuing to shape the economic prospects of towns and cities across the region, DIB will continue to champion the role of business in driving regeneration and creating vibrant places to live, work and invest.
