Property owners and business improvement districts: summary of consultation responses and government response

Posted on: 17 March 2014
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A summary responses and the government response to the consultation on property owners and business improvement districts, published by the government on 23 July 2013. This set out the Government’s detailed proposals to formalise the role of property owners who are not ratepayers in Business Improvement Districts.

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The future high street: Perspectives on living, learning and livelihoods in our communities

Posted on: 4 March 2014
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The Future Spaces Foundation, the independent panel of thinkers behind this report, provides a forum for new and diverse perspectives to be developed about creating social and economic opportunity through transforming spaces. Comprised of experts drawn from backgrounds including retail, economics, academia, community groups, arts and culture, psychology and transport, the Foundation aims to explore the different factors that affect the way we live and work and the impact they have on the spaces around us. While acknowledging the plight of retail, the Foundation aims to look beyond retail, being bold and exploring more holistic and medium term, 5–10 year alternatives, to overcome this identity crisis and ultimately help to revive the high street.

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The retail sector

Posted on: 4 March 2014
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The House of Commons Business Skills and Innovations Committee launched its Inquiry into the retail sector in the Spring of 2013, in response to the Business, Innovation and Skills Retail Strategy, which was published in October 2012. It outlined the Department’s support for the retail sector, at international, European, national and local levels. The Department then published a further Report, A Strategy for Future Retail in October 2013. The Committee’s inquiry asked for written comments on the initial Strategy. However, it received limited evidence concerning international and European retail issues; the bulk of the written and oral evidence concentrated on national issues. Furthermore, the majority of those who contributed to the inquiry wrote in detail about the burden of Business Rates. The Committee’s reports therefore concentrate primarily on the issue of Business Rates, in the context of the retail sector. The Committee argues that  the high street landscape is evolving and is likely to involve a more diverse mix of use, with housing, leisure, office, retail, and community space, with an urgent review of Business Rates for retail premises being an important consideration. The Committee also considered issues around the Portas Review and the High Street.

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Central London: Global retail destination

Posted on: 18 February 2014
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Retail spend by Chinese visitors in London predicted to double to £500m per annum by 2020 according to a new report from Savills research.

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Retail planning decisions under the NPPF

Posted on: 3 January 2014
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A new report commissioned by the Association of Convenience Stores has concluded that the government’s town centre first policies, as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), have failed.

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Supporting high streets and town centres

Posted on: 9 December 2013
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This paper accompanied the Chancellors Autumn Statement, highlighting the government’s proposals for helping the high street and town centres.

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RetailVision Report 2013

Posted on: 3 December 2013
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Callcredit Information Group has released its latest RetailVision Report of the UK retail landscape, revealing that the UK’s largest retail destinations continue to maintain retail revenues, against a backdrop of increasing competition from online retailers and pro-longed tough trading conditions. Major retail centres have further cemented their regional dominance and have put more downward pressure on the surrounding smaller towns and local shopping centres across the UK, where revenues have started to see some decline. These smaller retail destinations will have to work hard to stimulate footfall and establish their identity to attract shoppers.

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Beyond retail: Redefining the shape and purpose of town centres

Posted on: 29 November 2013
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This is the final report from the Distressed Town Centre Property Taskforce, a cross-sector industry grouping. For the first time, it identifies the major property-related barriers to the vitality and performance of town and city centres. One of the main recommendations is that the government should designate town and city centres as key national infrastructure in order to open up new funding opportunities. Other recommendations include bold and strategic land assembly and greater flexibility in the planning system.

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UK retail warehouse market 2013

Posted on: 29 November 2013
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Savills has published its latest spotlight on the retail warehouse property market in the UK.

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MAPIC: The international retail property market. Cannes, 13-15 November 2013

Posted on: 29 November 2013
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MAPIC gathers the world’s leading retail real estate professionals for expert-led conferences and tailor-made networking events dedicated to exploring the latest market trends: ever-renewed retail concepts, multichannel strategies, integrating leisure and culture into the shopping experience, as well as investment and expansion hotspots in mature and growing markets. Videos of the event are available online.

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