Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of empty shop units in (a) Wolverhampton South West constituency and (b) the UK.

This Government is?fully?committed to supporting the businesses and communities that make our high streets and town centres successful as the nation responds to the?impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Since March,?the Government has implemented a range of measures to support commercial property tenants, and help prevent further empty shops. The objective of these measures is to preserve tenants’ businesses through the Covid-19 pandemic and to give time and space to landlords and tenants to agree reasonable adjustments to rent and lease terms,?including terms for the payment of accumulated rent arrears.

Our immediate response to?Covid-19?builds on an ongoing programme of interventions. This includes the £3.6 billion Towns Fund, where we brought forward over £80 million funding this year to support immediate improvements in 101 towns selected for deals. Wolverhampton is shortlisted for the Future High Streets Fund, and was one of 101 towns invited to put together proposals for a town deal.

Government is also providing support through the High Streets Task Force, helping places like Wolverhampton to develop data-driven innovative strategies to tackle issues such as empty properties and connect with relevant experts. The High Streets Task Force is rolling out its expert, training and data offer across the country, and has launched a range of online support.

Government has also recently consulted on further reforms to planning procedures in town centres as set out in the white paper ‘Planning for the Future’, which sets out how Government will streamline and modernise the planning process to be more responsive to community needs and provide more homes in and around town centres and high streets.