Struggling high streets must be thrown a “lifeline”, with reforms to business rates, better parking in town centres and assurances over continued access to cash and banking services, a leading employers’ group has warned.
The Federation of Small Businesses said that town centres needed urgent assistance to survive a “perfect storm” of rising rents and business rates, higher employment costs and fierce competition from online and out-of-town rivals.
It said that policymakers could give town centres a fighting chance through measures such as last year’s overhaul of business rates, changing the tax rules to make it easier for small retailers to expand and by investing in roads and parking to make it easier for shoppers to visit town centres.
