High Streets (Designation, Review and Improvement Plan) Bill

Key Points

• Expansion of designation scope: councils can designate a network of streets as one high street, and the cap of three streets has been removed.
• Flexible review and improvement process: local authorities may carry out more than one review and more than one improvement plan within each 5-year period if needed.
• Designation timing clarified: the rules include a clear meaning of 'designation day' to ensure designation works even if not all streets are designated on a single day.
• Policy debate on development rights: a Liberal Democrat proposal in the Lords would remove permitted development rights from designated high streets, signalling tension between preservation and development; the proposal is not yet decided.
• Parliamentary backers and process: the Commons amendments pushing for broader scope and flexibility were agreed in Committee stage (primarily from Conservative MPs).

Progress

The bill originated in the Commons, where it passed Committee and Third Reading with amendments, and has moved to the Lords. It is at the Lords stage, with the 2nd Reading held on 17 May 2024; further Lords scrutiny and potential amendments follow.