North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and local leaders are set to agree a new High Streets Commission, to help revitalise town centres across the region.
The Mayor’s manifesto pledged to set up a Commission to ensure all places across the North East benefitted from investment.
The High Streets Commission will explore how the region can breathe new life into its high streets, providing a blueprint for reform over the medium and long term.
It will explore how retail, culture, housing, jobs and public transport can be embedded into places to help them thrive and make the North East an even better place to live, work, visit and invest.
If approved by the North East Combined Authority Cabinet, the Commission will consider new approaches in the region’s seven local authority areas, and provide a focal point to attract new investment in the North East’s high streets.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said:
“High streets are a crucial part of day-to-day life for people across the North East, not just for shopping, but as a place for people to come together, to work, enjoy our area’s rich culture or use public services.
“While we have many beautiful, vibrant town centres across the region, the challenges facing many high streets are well-documented. I promised in my manifesto to set up a High Streets Commission and today we are delivering on that. I’m determined we work together with local people to reverse that decline and restore pride in our places.
“We want to explore the art of the possible, reimagine what our villages and towns look like, and give communities the opportunity to shape their area’s future. That’s what real devolution looks like, so together, we can revitalise the North East and create more opportunity for local people.”
A report to the North East Combined Authority’s Cabinet will recommend backing the Commission, with a Chair and Terms of Reference to be agreed in the Spring, with an initial £850,000 investment to support its work.