Event Details

Key Speakers

	Mark Williams, Chair, Distressed Retail Property Taskforce
	Martin Blackwell, Chief Executive, The Association of Town Centre Management
	Cllr Peter Fleming, Chair, Improvement and Innovation Board, Local Government Association
	Gordon Maddan, Programme Manager — Business, Better Regulation Delivery Office, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Overview

High Streets are a tangible indicator of the health of every local community and economy. They are vitally important centres of social interaction, employment and local commerce, but after years of neglect, deterioration and poor management, many towns and communities risk losing the real social and economic benefits that high streets have been able to provide for centuries.

Recognising the important role high streets play, the Government published ‘Understanding High Street Performance’ in December 2011, and leading retail marketing consultant Mary Portas published an independent review of our high streets on request from the Prime Minister.

Besides setting out what Mary Portas believed had led to the decline of the high street, the Portas Review made 28 key recommendations to identify what the Government, local authorities, businesses and others could do to develop new models of prosperous and diverse high streets.

The Government’s formal response to the Portas Review was published in March 2012. The response challenges local partners to re-imagine their town centres and high streets against the rise of out-of-town shopping centres, supermarkets, internet sales and growth in ‘m-commerce’ (sales over mobile devices) – the response outlines a package of measures to help high streets become the heart of our communities once more.

This was underpinned in July 2012, with the DCLG publication of ‘Re-imagining urban spaces to help revitalise our high streets’ – a guide for local partners to re-imagine the urban spaces in their area to help boost their local town centres and high streets.

Against this background, this special symposium provides an invaluable opportunity for local authorities, retailers and leisure operators, town centre management teams and other key stakeholders to discuss the latest Government thinking and explore innovative solutions to revitalise our town centres and bring economic and community life back onto our high streets.

Delegates will:

• Discuss the Government’s formal response to the Portas Review and its package of measures
• Examine the 27 town centres from across the country selected to be ‘Portas Pilots’
• Evaluate the recently published ‘Re-imagining urban spaces to help revitalise our high streets’ document
• Explore the potential impact of putting in place ‘Town Teams’
• Share ideas and best practice on issues raised by the night time economy and efforts to ensure that high streets are accessible, attractive and safe

Programme

Who Should Attend?

• Town Teams
• Local Authority Planners
• Local Government Planning Committees
• Town Centre Managers
• Economic Development Officers
• Local Authority Policymakers in Environmental Services
• Directors of Economy and Environment
• Environmental Health/ Enforcement Officers
• National Trade Associations
• Councillors and Key Town Centre Stakeholders
• Tourism Managers
• Property Management Officers
• Estate Agent Associations
• Retailers and Leisure Operators
• Investors and Developers
• Local Government Environmental Specialists
• Planning Consultants and Surveyors
• Urban Designers and Architects
• Architectural Liaison Officers
• Leading Members/Officers Responsible for Regeneration and the Environment
• Community Development Officers
• Neighbourhood Management Teams
• Civil Enforcement Officers
• Community Safety Managers
• Local Authority Parking and Traffic Management Teams
• Action for Market Towns
• High Street Business Associations
• British Chambers of Commerce
• British Business Improvement Districts
• Small Business Federations
• Local Enterprise Partnerships
• Management Consultancies Associations
• Conservation Trusts
• Transport Managers
• Licensing Authorities
• Charities
• Voluntary Organisations
• Third Sector Practitioners

“ The hard work that Mary Portas put into her Review of the High Street produced a set of useful and thought-provoking recommendations … for our high streets to thrive they must offer something new and different.

That is why our wider response to Mary Portas’s review is designed not to prescribe to communities what they should do – but to give them the power to decide what’s right for their town centres … These measures give people the incentive and encouragement to take the lead and work together to put their creative ideas into practice. We look forward to seeing high streets across the country becoming the hearts of their communities once again. ”
— Prime Minister, March 2012

“ Mary Portas’ Review has sparked a renewed interest in securing the future of high streets – the Government’s response is designed to help those wanting to transform their town centres and reclaim their role at the heart of their communities … the measures we are putting in place are designed to support Town Teams across the country, from Newcastle to Newquay, as they find their own solution to the challenges their local areas face. ”
— Minister for Housing and Local Government, March 2012