Markets and Shops: Coronavirus

(asked on 2nd June 2020) - View Source

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken to encourage communities to support local businesses as shops and outdoor markets begin to re-open as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.


Answered by
Simon Clarke Portrait
Simon Clarke
This question was answered on 10th June 2020

This Government is fully committed to supporting the businesses and communities that make our high streets and retail markets successful as the nation responds to the impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak. Now more than ever, it is vital that we continue to help our local economies by supporting town centres and markets to recover, adapt and evolve.

On 25 May government announced a new £50 million fund, Reopening High Streets Safely Fund, to support councils across England to aid the safe reopening of high streets and other commercial areas.

This makes use of recent EU flexibilities to respond quickly and flexibly to the impacts of Covid-19 to help local businesses to reopen safely and ensures existing jobs are safeguarded and High Street business closures, in particular on the High Street, are minimised.

Helping towns and cities develop safe trading environments, particularly in high streets, will be key to kick starting the economy, getting people back to work, businesses trading and helping to reinvigorate communities.

The Fund provides support to local businesses on high streets across England helping them to put in place a number of extra social distancing measures that will allow them to reopen safely and confidently.

Government has also established the High Streets Task Force who will now more than ever play a vital role in supporting the recovery of our local economies. The Task Force will support local leaders in their work revitalising their high streets and town centres by providing proactive support to local areas to develop data-driven innovative strategies and connect local areas to relevant experts.

Government appreciates how much people cherish their high streets and retail markets, they are the centres of their community and we will continue to work with them and key stakeholders to monitor the impacts of the current situation and ensure that reopening of local economies can be managed successfully and safely.

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