Supporting High Streets

Matt Rodda Excerpts

Tuesday 4th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lee Pitcher (Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme) (Lab)]

Our high streets are the heart of our communities. They are where people meet, where local pride grows and where livelihoods are made. High streets have certainly struggled over the last decade, with vacant properties, antisocial behaviour and concerns about the impact of densely populated HMOs. I am certain that there will be further discussion on this matter today, and rightly so, because we must help our high streets to regain that buzz and splendour—they must once again become that hive of activity—that people associate with community shopping areas and places of the past. This Government have a huge role to play in making that happen and we have committed to supporting the injection of renewed life into our high streets.

Today I want to use my time, as others have done, to talk up our high streets—the remarkable staff, the shopkeepers, the landlords and landladies, and the volunteers—and to highlight the great work done by local businesses in my constituency. I want to show just how much our residents need to come out to our high streets in order to support our local economy and to experience the great things on offer.

[Matt Rodda (Reading Central) (Lab)]

My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech and shows himself to be a true champion for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme. Does he agree that we all ought to talk up our high streets? There is a danger that some on the Conservative Benches are failing to see that, and they are doing real damage to small businesses.

[Lee Pitcher]

I could not agree more. We must be ambassadors and advocate for the wonderful innovation, ingenuity and entrepreneurship that business owners show along our high streets.

I also want to show today areas that the Government are already helping to revitalise, so I am going to take hon. Members on a small tour of places in my constituency: a Doncaster East and Isle of Axholme Monopoly tour. In Epworth, you will find a wonderful and diverse array of independent shops—Hatty’s Tea Room, the Cosy Cake Shop, Godiva Hair Loss and Wig Specialists, and Imelda’s—bringing people into the centre and supporting local jobs. In Crowle, Elizabeth Kate Bridal and Sadie’s Tea Room on the high street show how specialist independents and long-standing family businesses can thrive side by side.

Haxey has long benefited from a community of traditional pubs that helps keep the historic Haxey Hood alive; in fact, the Kings Arms has just unveiled a mural of the hood that many people come to see. In Rossington, Death by Fudge has grown from a kitchen idea into a much loved shop, proving that when small businesses find the right high street home, they thrive—and I can tell you, Madam Deputy Speaker, there are definitely worse ways to go than death by Kinder. On a Friday, the Rossington market, straight opposite Death by Fudge, is always open and welcome to residents. This weekend I look forward to popping into the newly opened Thorne Park Café.

The hon. Member for Richmond Park (Sarah Olney) mentioned shoplifting. It is hugely commendable how the shopkeepers in Thorne have come together. A great example is the Shop Watch scheme—a partnership between retailers and the neighbourhood policing team that is cutting retail crime and giving shopkeepers the confidence to trade. Reports show a 34% fall in shoplifting since the scheme started, with repeat offenders brought to justice. That is the kind of common-sense collaboration that keeps our high streets safe and welcoming for shoppers.

--- Later in debate ---

[Connor Naismith]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Conservative Members do not like it, but what I am articulating is the lived reality of my constituents and the impact of the Conservatives’ record on the economy while in government.

The failure to tackle the root causes of decline was compounded by economic mismanagement that drove up construction costs and by the devastating loss of HS2, but I am pleased to report that Crewe is turning a corner. We are seeing real investment, real ambition and real pride returning to our town centre, and that transformation is visible. It is being led by local leaders, our community and our entrepreneurs, backed by the economic stability that this Labour Government are delivering. The Crewe market hall, for example, has been reborn. It is now a thriving hub of food, drink and entertainment. The Lyceum theatre, a jewel in our town, is now joined by the Lyceum Square, a modern development that complements its historic charm. Together, they anchor a growing cultural quarter, and that quarter is expanding. The former Dorothy Perkins and Burton unit on Market Street, once another empty shell and blight on the high street, now hosts Crewe Creates—a vibrant space for arts and culture. This shows what can happen when creativity meets opportunity.

[Matt Rodda]

My hon. Friend is making an excellent point about the importance of arts and culture in town centres, and of restoring and reclaiming historic buildings to bring a sense of place, to help small traders to flourish, and to bring arts activities to the public and footfall into our town centres. I would commend the work done by Reading borough council to create a similar hub in Reading town centre. I really hope that my hon. Friend continues with his great work.

[Connor Naismith]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right about restoring old buildings, and that is exactly what is taking place in Crewe.

Alongside this, a rolling programme of cultural events from Crewe town council and the Crewe business improvement district is helping to make our town an early contender for this Government’s first town of culture award.