Town centres – keeping the character

Ever since the economic crisis of 2008, the vitality of town centres and high streets has been a cause for concern for the public and policy makers - fears for the demise of the town centre and the death of the high street have been staple media headlines ever since.

The London Assembly Regeneration Committee publishes its report ‘Centres for Excellence? Good Growth through town centre regeneration’ today. It recommends the Mayor needs to ensure that his policies support town centre regeneration to:

• Create good jobs with stability, decent pay and prospects for progress
• Put in place the right social infrastructure to support communities – both old and new - to grow and strengthen
• Involve and engage communities along the way to shape the direction development is taking

Navin Shah AM, Chair of the Regeneration Committee, said:

“Despite social and economic pressures, London’s town centres have proved relatively resilient.

With London’s expected population growth, there is a significant need for more employment space and new homes. The Mayors’ new draft London Plan identifies London’s town centres as sites for a significant part of this new development and growth.

Town centres are already clusters of economic activity often with good transport links.

However, as well as being important economic hubs, town centres are important in giving a sense of place, a social and cultural anchor to Londoners in a fast-changing global city.

The important thing is that our town centres retain their individual character and continue to serve the diverse needs of local communities under the pressure of new developments. The report highlights the need for constructive engagement with local communities to make sure town centres reflect the social and cultural needs of local residents.”