Do all high streets need ‘saving’?

We are not fans of ‘saving’ the high street…it’s a word that conjures up decline, loss and a dire situation.

While some high streets might well find themselves in this state, we can’t simply wave a magic wand and transport them back to being full of department stores and greengrocers.

There has to be a reality check as to what’s needed in each place.

As a starting point, what role does the (struggling) high street serve – community hub, convenience, leisure etc – and can it be met elsewhere?

If a replica environment can be found nearby in a better condition, then perhaps the current one should be repurposed as something else rather than competing.

Sometimes, regardless of the funding available, people have moved on to somewhere better and it can be hard to pull them back (but not impossible if you understand the role of the high street).

On projects we visit around the country, places where the retail park – in town and edge of town specifically – has had an even bigger impact on declining footfall than online.

Before them, the rise of the large-scale format supermarkets and changing lifestyles took away the need to visit multiple stores when one shop had it all.

London high streets are cited as being different, which they often are but there are over 600 of them (according to the GLA) so there is a mixed picture.

In all this talk of decline and save, we shouldn’t forget that there are plenty of places with high streets and town centres that meet local needs and/or attract visitors.

In the north west, Liverpool and Manchester have retained their retail core and continue to attract locals and visitors for shopping complimented by a growing leisure and tourism offer.

So, let’s keep the focus on places doing well and see what ideas can be transferred (adapted, not replicated) into those who need a bit more help to succeed rather than be ‘saved’.