Mary Portas: Implications for Scotland

Mary Portas: Implications for Scotland

The long anticipated Portas Review  http://www.maryportas.com/news/2011/12/12/the-portas-review/ into their future of high streets seems to be have been largely well received and made for some positive reading yesterday.

The Review identifies what government, local authorities and businesses can do to promote the development of more prosperous and diverse high streets.  The review recognises that thriving town centres are key to rebuilding the economy and sets out twenty eight recommendations under seven headings namely:

• Getting our town centres running like businesses;
• Getting the basics right to allow business to flourish;
• Levelling the playing field;
• Defining landlords’ roles and responsibilities;
• Giving communities a greater say; 
• A few words of advice to Britain’s shopkeepers: experience, service specialism;
• Re-imagining our high streets.

There is even a quote from The Death and Life of Great American Cities Jane Jacobs (1961). Difficult to justice to the Review in a blog so read it for yourself! Two particular conclusions chime well with the DWA lead team report on “Town Centre Regeneration: how does it work and what can be achieved?” that was published by the Scottish Government in September.  

 First, the vision of ‘highstreets, re-imagined as destinations for socialising, culture, health, wellbeing, creativity and learning. Places that will develop and sustain new and existing markets and businesses. The new high streets won’t just be about selling goods. The mix will include shops but could also include housing, offices, sport, schools or other social, commercial and cultural enterprises and meeting places. They should become places where we go to engage with other people in our communities, where shopping is just one small part of a rich mix of activities.’ 

Second, it’s accepted that the public sector alone cannot create vibrant high streets and town centres, however hard they try.  It’s about what landlords and retailers can do and, crucially, the part that all of us can play as people that meet, trade and shop in high streets and town centres

In Scotland a number of the recommendations are not new, for example there are already eleven established Business Improvement Districts and more than sixteen in development. In addition a host of practical projects that contribute to the debate and demonstrate a range of different responses have emerged.  See my last blog http://www.douglaswheelerassociates.com/spirits-on-the-high-street.htm .  There is also a clear recognition that quality design is crucial in supporting the creation of successful places. 

 No complacency though. Clearly there is still a massive challenge for town centres in Scotland as well as the rest of the UK and the Portas Review has raised the bar in terms of a response.

Not to be outdone, the Scottish Government (SG), as part of the Regeneration Strategy, also published this week, will undertake a national review of town centres in 2012 to scope out potential solutions to the issues faced by Scotland’s town centres and to enable a measured, long-term approach to town centre regeneration by targeting the relevant issues. The SG say that the  review will be developed and implemented in partnership with local authorities, community groups and other key stakeholders. 

It could be that SG’s review needs to start from where the Portas Review leaves off but then look to the structures at the local level to ensure co-operation and start to test relevant local economic development, business and planning models that are about reinvestment and sharing the benefits so as to accelerate the economic revival of town centres.  Is Scotland ready to go further and rein in the supermarkets and act on the basis that town centres are part of the solution to the twin challenges of climate change and peak oil?