High Streets

Heidi Alexander Excerpts

Wednesday 16th October 2013 Commons Chamber

[Roberta Blackman-Woods]

My hon. Friend is right. We know that once there is a proliferation of payday loan companies and the like on our high streets, other retailers are put off coming to the area.

[Heidi Alexander (Lewisham East) (Lab)]

My hon. Friend said there is no clamour out there in the country for more betting shops, fast food takeaways and payday loan companies, but there is a clamour for communities and planning authorities to have more control over these changes. Does she agree that the recent changes make a complete mockery of the rhetoric coming from the Government about giving more power to communities? It is simply not true.

[Roberta Blackman-Woods]

Indeed. I agree with my hon. Friend, and what we are currently seeing from the Government is very anti-localist; it is the opposite of what they say they are doing.