MP Gareth Snell welcomes government action to bring boarded-up high streets back to life with £210m boost

Derelict high street buildings across England will be transformed into shared workspaces, cafes and community hubs, to bring people back into town centres as part of a £210m package announced by the Labour Government.

People in Stoke-on-Trent are rightly proud of where they live, but during 14 years of Conservative government our high streets were hollowed out, with shops shuttered, buildings boarded up and once-busy hubs left empty. Now the Labour Government is putting that right, by investing to revamp vacant shopping centres, disused cinemas and abandoned local eyesores.

Through the new £125m Derelict Buildings Fund, Labour will support local authorities to transform these buildings into what their communities need, from health centres to civic spaces.

An additional £65m will be invested in helping communities right across England to rescue and revamp beloved buildings and businesses at risk of closure, like pubs and sports clubs. This builds on existing schemes like the Pride in Place programme.

And a further £20 million will be split equally between High Street Rental Auctions, letting out properties vacant for 12 months or more, and a new Co-operative Development Programme so local people share in their high street’s success. This drives forward the Prime Minister’s mission to shift power back to communities, from letting mayors keep a share of income tax to reinvest in local priorities, to supporting the establishment of strategic authorities in every part of England.

Gareth said: “This investment is a welcome boost and demonstrates Labour’s commitment to rebuilding the heart of our local communities.

“For far too long, our high streets have been overlooked while local services and facilities deteriorated. Under Andy Burnham’s Labour Government, we are putting decision-making back into local hands and delivering the support needed to help our town centres thrive once again.”

Later this year, the government will go further still, publishing a full high streets strategy to transform town centres across England and bring lasting pride back to Britain’s communities.

The £210m package is from MHCLG funding already earmarked for high street support and regeneration.