Culture Secretary, and Loughborough MP, Nicky Morgan has announced the locations that will benefit from a £95 million heritage boost for high streets in 69 towns across the country. I was absolutely delighted that two of the towns are to be in Leicestershire. This is a great opportunity for both Hinckley and Leicester - not only to preserve the best of the past but also to improve the future.
Far too often crime blackspots are at least partly the result of a built environment that gives opportunistic criminals the chance to commit crimes. Combine that with a low footfall due to declining shopping streets and the potential for crime is obviously high. Adopting a policy of targetted disruption will remove these blackspots. This new funding could provide an opportunity to do just that.
Nationwide, 69 high streets in England will be revitalised by a £95 million cash injection. This is the biggest ever single investment by Government in the UK’s built heritage. Projects across the country will transform disused historic buildings into shops, houses and community centres. Funding will help traditional businesses adapt to better compete with online outlets.
Increasing competition from online outlets is putting high streets across the country under growing pressure. As part of the Government’s drive to help high streets adapt to changing consumer habits, the £95 million funding will provide a welcome boost that will breathe new life into historic buildings and areas in our towns and cities.
The initiative will be funded by combining £40 million from the Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport’s Heritage High Street Fund with £52 million from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s Future High Street Fund. £3 million will be provided by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to support a cultural programme to engage people in the life and history of their high streets.
The investment builds on the successful Heritage Action Zones programme, run by Historic England, and will turn empty and underused buildings into creative spaces, offices, retail outlets and housing to support wider regeneration in the 69 successful areas by attracting future commercial investment.
When Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan made the announcement she said:
"Our nation’s heritage is one of our great calling cards to the world, attracting millions of visitors to beautiful historic buildings that sit at the heart of our communities.
"It is right that we ensure these buildings are preserved for future generations but it is important that we make them work for the modern world.
"This £95 million will help breathe new life into high streets all over England, benefiting businesses, supporting our much-loved buildings and helping to make our communities more attractive places to live, work and visit.
"The funding will be used for a variety of projects, including:
- To complete essential repair works in historic buildings and reveal hidden and forgotten features of buildings by restoring shop-fronts and facades
- Stimulate commercial investment in high streets by demonstrating how historic sites can be successfully repurposed.
- Develop education projects and bespoke events to help reposition historic buildings as community hubs at the heart of local towns and villages.
- Help address the UK wide skills shortage of heritage professionals in expert fields like stonemasonry and conservation by providing local property owners, residents and businesses with the opportunity to train in these areas."
Clearly the Conservative government wants to make sure the nation’s high streets continue to be at the heart of local communities. Today’s funding, part of the £3.6 billion that the Conservatives have committed to helping towns across the country, will revitalise much-loved historic buildings, helping to reverse the decline of our town centres. Ensuring that prosperity and opportunities are available to everyone in this country, not just those in our biggest cities, is a priority of this Government in our mission to ‘level up’ the regions.
The government is doubling funding to nearly £100 million to revitalise our heritage high streets, ensuring they remain at the heart of our communities for years to come. This will help places across the country protect their treasured historic buildings and support local economies to thrive.
Our high streets are the beating hearts of our communities. Many have roots that go back hundreds of years. Their historic buildings and distinctive character tell the story of how our towns and cities have changed over time. They are places where people come together to socialise, shop, run businesses and be part of their local community, but now they face an uncertain future.
Through physical improvements and cultural activities, we will work with partners to find new ways to regenerate our high streets. It is a challenge, but with our experience and track record, as well as the knowledge and passion of local councils, businesses and community groups our historic high streets can be thriving social hubs once more.
