£830 Million Funding Boost For High Streets In England

26th December 2020

Funding from the Future High Streets Fund to help 72 areas in England to recover from the pandemic and deliver ambitious regeneration plans.

The government will invest up to £830 million from the Future High Streets Fund

Investment will support areas to recover from the pandemic and help transform underused town centres into vibrant places to live, work and shop

Ambitious plans will help protect and create thousands of jobs as part of the levelling up agenda

In a major boost for local high streets, up to £830 million from the Future High Streets Fund will be invested in 72 areas across England, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick announced today (26 December 2020).

The funding will help these areas transform their high streets into vibrant hubs for future generations and to protect and create thousands of jobs.

In a key milestone for the government's levelling up agenda, this investment will help areas to recover from the pandemic while also driving long term growth.

It will enable the delivery of ambitious regeneration plans, drawn up by places, and fund new local projects such as improvements to transport infrastructure, new homes and the transformation of underused spaces.

The funding will also help to protect and create thousands of jobs in a range of industries, delivering opportunities and prosperity to communities across England. Confirmed plans include:

£24.6 million to support the delivery of 186 new homes, road safety improvements and a permanent new space for the historic market in Birkenhead.

£17.9 million to boost Worcester town centre by renovating the Scala Theatre and Corn Exchange, transforming underused space to create new homes for first time buyers and improving connectivity.

£25 million for Swindon’s plans to modernise its town centre, including a new public transport hub and improved cycle and pedestrian routes.

This funding is part of wider support we’re providing to communities and businesses, to protect jobs, support the most vulnerable and ensure no one is left behind as we tackle the COVID-19 pandemic head on.

Communities Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said:The year ahead will be a big one for the high street as it seeks to recover, adapt and evolve as a result of the pandemic. Today’s £830 million investment from the Future High Streets Fund is one of many ways the government is working to help our much-loved town centres get through this and prosper into the future.

The role of high street has always evolved. We want to support that change and make sure that they are the beating heart of their local community - with high quality housing and leisure in addition to shops and restaurants.

This investment will help us build back better and make town centres a more attractive place to live, work and visit.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, said:We are supporting our high streets to get through this pandemic through business grants, paying people’s wages and tax deferrals.

The Future High Streets Fund will help areas bounce back through regeneration projects that level up opportunities and create jobs right across the country.

The Future High Streets Fund was launched in December 2018 and is a key part of this government’s plan to renew and reshape town centres – making them a more attractive place to live, work and visit. £107 million of the Future High Streets Fund has been allocated to DCMS to support the regeneration of heritage high streets.

The Future High Streets Fund is just one of the ways the government is supporting the retail and hospitality sector. During the pandemic, we made it easier for areas to adapt to the challenges they faced.

This included making it easier to demolish and rebuild unused buildings to create homes with our High Street Homes Permitted Development Rights; providing restaurants, pubs and cafes with the freedom to offer takeaway services; and making it easier for businesses and communities to host markets and stalls so customers can be served safely.

In May we launched a fund to help councils reopen high streets safely and we recently announced that retailers will be able to extend their opening hours over the festive period to help keep shoppers and staff safe.

This month we extended protections from the threat of eviction for businesses unable to pay their rent until March 2021, taking the duration of these measures to one year.

Our recent proposals for the new Parking Code of Practice will support shoppers visiting their local high street by introducing a tiered approach to private car parking fines and ensuring a fair appeals process.

We are also reviewing the provision of public toilets to ensure that there are appropriate facilities for visitors to town centres.

Further information

Fifteen areas across England have been awarded a confirmed £255 million from the Future High Streets Fund. A further 57 areas have received a provisional funding offers totalling up to £576 million and we will be working with them to finalise their proposals.

The 15 places who are receiving full funding are:

Tamworth Town Centre – Tamworth, £21,652,555

Sunderland City Centre – Sunderland, £25,000,000

Sutton – Sutton, £11,346,704

Bishop Auckland – Durham, £19,856,853

Blyth Town Centre – Northumberland, £11,121,059

Kidderminster – Wyre Forest, £20,510,598

Old Kent Road – Southwark, £9,605,854

Swindon – Swindon, £25,000,000

Stockport – Stockport, £14,500,000

Winsford – Cheshire West and Chester, £9,980,000

Sheffield High Street – Sheffield, £15,817,001

Blackfriars, Northern City Centre – Worcester, £17,939,000

Birkenhead – Wirral, £24,581,011

Brierley Hill High Town Centre – Dudley, £9,985,689

Stretford – Trafford, £17,605,674

The 57 places receiving provisional funding offers are:

Leamington Town Spa, Warwick (Warwickshire) – £10,015,121

Nuneaton Town Centre, Nuneaton and Bedworth (Warwickshire) – £13,362,736

Wolverhampton City Centre – £15,760,196

Walsall – £11,439,967

Newcastle-Under-Lyme – £11,048,260

Stafford – £14,377,723

Tottenham, Haringey – £10,019,648

Woolwich Town Centre, Greenwich – £17,150,964

Wealdstone, Harrow – £7,448,583

Putney Town Centre, Wandsworth – £1,058,706

Elland Town Centre, Calderdale (West Yorkshire) – £6,310,812

Northallerton, Hambleton (North Yorkshire) – £6,085,013

Rotherham – £12,660,708

Halifax – £11,762,823

Barnsley Towns Centre – £15,624,456

Scunthorpe – £10,675,323

New Ferry, Wirral – £3,213,523

Wigan – £16,633,691

Crewe – £14,148,128

Rochdale (Greater Manchester) – £17,080,458

Farnworth, Bolton (Greater Manchester) – £13,306,817

Oldham – £10,750,237

Kirkham Town Centre, Fylde – £6,290,831

Maryport Town Centre, Allerdale – £11,527,839

Carlisle City Centre – £9,129,874

Plymouth City Centre – £12,046,873

Barnstable, North Devon – £6,548,876

Newton Abbot, Teignbridge – £9,199,364

Paignton, Torbay – £13,363,248

Kingswood, South Gloucestershire – £12,555,464

Salisbury City Centre – £9,355,731

Penzance, Cornwall – £10,403, 112

Trowbridge, Wiltshire – £16,347,056

Yeovil – £9,756,897

Taunton, Somerset – £13,962,981

Loftus, Redcar and Cleveland – £5,833,628

Middlesbrough Centre – £14,170,352

Stockton – £16,543,812

South Shields – £5,959,187

Derby City Centre, St Peters Cross – £15,034,398

Sutton-in-Ashfield (Nottinghamshire) – £6,279,872

Grantham, South Kesteven (Lincolnshire) – £5,558,818

Grimsby (North East Lincolnshire) – £17,280,917

Nottingham City Centre, West End Point – £12,523,981

Heanor, Amber Valley – £8,592,837

Northampton – £8,442,730

Buxton, High Peak – £6,608,223

Dover Town Centre and Waterfront – £3,202,226

Newhaven, Lewes – £5,004,939

Chatham Town Centre, Medway – £9,497,720

Ramsgate, Thanet – £2,704,213

Commercial Road, Portsmouth (Hampshire) – £3,122,375

Fratton, Portsmouth – £3,858,489

High Wycombe – £11,886,876

St Neots, Huntingdonshire – £3,748,815

March High Street, Fenland – £6,447,129

Great Yarmouth – £13,774,430

The outputs listed are locally reported and will undergo further quality assurance before being finalised and confirmed in grant offer letters.

In Scotland this type of funding is controlled by the Scottish Government.