£710,000 funding boost to help local high streets reopen

Improvements can be made to local high streets across Cheshire to help them safely and successfully open after lockdown thanks to Government funding.

A total of £56 million will be invested through the new Welcome Back Fund to help councils across England boost tourism, improve green spaces and provide more outdoor seating areas, markets and food stall pop-ups—giving people more, safer options to reunite with friends and relatives this summer.

Conservative MP for Eddisbury, Edward Timpson CBE, said he was delighted that the two councils would be sharing £709,929,  and looks forward to seeing how the money will be spent to help attract people back to the high streets post-lockdown.

Councils can use the funding to hold street markets and festivals, boost the look and feel of their high streets— for example, with more seating areas and street planting or graffiti cleaning—and install new signage to help keep people safe as restrictions are lifted.

This is part of a package announced by the Conservative Government to attract people back to high streets safely this summer, including:

• Making it easier for hospitality businesses to operate as takeaways and host markets and stalls.
• Enabling businesses like pubs and restaurants to use their land more flexibly—for example by setting up a marquee or creating new outside space, for the whole summer—so they can serve more customers and recover from the effects of the pandemic.
• Extending pavement licenses for another 12 months, so venues can continue serving customers al fresco for longer without red tape.
• Tackling cowboy private parking firms whose rogue practices can keep visitors away from town.

The Conservative Government has provided billions of punds of investment through the £3.6 billion Towns Fund and £1 billion Future High Streets Fund to regenerate town centres and spruce up high streets, and recently announced a new £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund, which will give every council in the UK access to up to £20 million to make their area a more attractive place to visit.

It has also supported high street businesses throughout the pandemic with targeted tax cuts, business rates relief and grants as part of an economic package worth £407 billion this year and next; enabled eateries and pubs to keep serving customers as takeaways during lockdown, and is making it easier for disused buildings in town centres to be repurposed to end the scourge of unkempt buildings that drive away footfall.

Eddisbury MP, Edward Timpson CBE, said:

“I know how difficult it has been for businesses on our high streets over the last year, and I am determined to secure them all the help they need to recover.

“That is why I am delighted that our area will receive £709,929 as part of the Conservative Government’s new Welcome Back Fund, which will help our high streets to reopen safely and successfully this summer as restrictions lift.

“This will ensure that our high streets have the support they need as we move into recovery, and build back better from the pandemic.”

Communities Secretary, the Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said:

“As we move to the next stage on the roadmap out of lockdown, we are all looking forward to being reunited with friends and family outdoors, and making a safe and happy return to our favourite shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants.

“Our Welcome Back Fund gives every city, town and high street support to prepare for a great summer. This funding will help councils and businesses to welcome shoppers, diners and tourists back safely.

“As soon as the roadmap allows, we need to get behind our local businesses and enjoy all that this country has to offer and that we’ve been missing so much.

“I’m allowing every pub in the country to erect a marquee in their garden for the whole summer as a one-off power to support our locals.”

We are investing in high streets and town centres by:

·     Delivering a comprehensive package of support that will allow high streets safely and successfully to reopen in the months ahead, helping local economies thrive. We have announced a suite of measures that will allow high streets to prepare for the safe return of customers, including our £56 million Welcome Back Fund to help councils boost tourism, improve green spaces and provide more outdoor seating areas, markets and food stalls, with part of the funding going to all coastal resorts across England. Businesses including pubs and restaurants will also have greater flexibility to set up marquees and extra outdoor seating allowing them serve more customers and we are introducing fairer parking measures that will encourage people to return to high streets and town centres.

·     Helping local leaders revitalise their high streets and town centres through our High Streets Task Force, which will support them in adapting to changing consumer demands. The Task Force, comprised of experts, will provide advice to local areas on how they can breathe new life into their high streets and town centres and adapt in the face of changing consumer habits, and we have now announced the first 70 councils set to benefit from this targeted, hands-on support.

·     Providing councils with £50 million to prepare for the safe reopening of high streets, helping businesses to welcome customers back safely once restrictions are lifted. Our £50 million Reopening High Streets Safely Fund has paid for safety measures on high streets such as new signs, street markings and barriers, that will ensure hospitality customers can return safely as we cautiously progress through our roadmap to recovery.

·     Introducing our new £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund which will deliver investment in long-term infrastructure projects that will level up communities across the UK. This fund will allow us to invest in local infrastructure and support our economic recovery, helping regenerate our town centres and high streets, improve local transport links and investing in cultural and heritage assets.

·     Launching a £3.6 billion Towns Fund to ensure prosperity and opportunities are available to everyone, not just those in London or our biggest cities. This funding will support an initial 100 towns by improving both transport and digital infrastructure, driving local growth and raising living standards.

·     Backing community leaders with £1 billion of funding to help modernise their high streets and town centres. The Prime Minister has expanded the Future High Streets Fund, confirming that another 50 towns in England will be given a share of £1 billion to redevelop their high streets, improve transport and access into town centres and convert empty retail units into new homes and places of work, taking the total receiving support to 100 places.

We are giving the small businesses at the heart of our high streets the backing they need

·     Delivering one of the most comprehensive economic responses in the world to support jobs, businesses and livelihoods on the high street during the pandemic. Over 2020-21 and 2021-22, we are providing £407 billion of support for families, jobs and businesses, more than almost any other country in the world. This includes protecting 14 million jobs through the furlough and self-employed schemes, and over £100 billion in business support – from around 2 million Bounce Back Loans to grants, rates relief and VAT deferrals.

·     Cutting taxes for high street businesses to help them through the pandemic. Our business rates holiday means that business in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors will pay no business rates for 2020-21 – a tax cut worth £10 billion and see an effective reduction of 75 per cent in 2021-22 – saving a further £6 billion. 150,000 hospitality and tourism businesses will also pay less VAT until April 2022.

·     Providing restart grants to help high street businesses get going again. Non-essential retail businesses will open first and therefore receive grants of up to £6,000, while hospitality and leisure businesses – including personal care, hairdressers and gyms – will likely open later or with more restrictions and so receive grants of up to £18,000. These will be worth an extra £5 billion – taking our total cash grant support since the start of the pandemic to £25 billion. We are also providing local councils with £425 million discretionary funding to support other local businesses.

·     Extending the retail discount on business rates to 50 per cent, and to cinemas and music venues, benefitting up to half a million businesses and giving high streets a £280 million tax cut. During 2020-21 this will be increased to 100 per cent to support small businesses affected by COVID-19 and also be extended to the leisure and hospitality sectors, supporting town centre businesses through this difficult period. We will introduce an additional business rates relief for pubs bringing their total relief to £9,750.