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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to support local authorities to provide (a) free parking, (b) exemptions from local congestion charges and (c) other incentives to increase the number of people visiting (i) high streets and (ii) town centres.

In line with the Government’s position on localism, parking is the responsibility of local authorities and it is for them to determine what is appropriate in their own area. However, central government does have an interest in how car parks are managed and recognises the important link between parking provision and the vitality of our high streets and town centres.

More broadly, this Government is delivering an accelerated £1 billion Future High Streets Fund to support local areas in England to renew and reshape town centres and high streets in a way that improves experience, drives growth and ensures future sustainability. The Government is also providing support to local areas with a?High Streets Task Force,?giving high streets and town centres expert advice to adapt and thrive by providing hands-on support to local areas to develop data-driven innovative strategies and connect local areas to relevant experts. In addition, we have introduced permitted development rights for the change of use to enable businesses to adapt and diversify to respond to emerging consumer demands with a wider range of retail, leisure, residential and other uses.