Committee publication · Correspondence · 26 November 2025

Letter from the Minister for Devolution, Faith and Communities relating to support for high streets and town centres, 21 November 2025

Summary

Minister for Devolution, Faith and Communities Miatta Fahnbulleh responds to eight questions from the Business and Trade Committee on high street and town centre support. The letter outlines the Government's approach to community asset ownership via the Pride in Place programme (£5bn over 10 years), vacant property identification mechanisms, brownfield development priorities, Business Improvement Districts funding, compulsory purchase order reforms, and oversight of Growth Hubs and Local Growth Plans under devolved arrangements.

Key findings

Pride in Place programme will deliver up to £5bn funding over 10 years to 244 of Britain's most in-need neighbourhoods, allowing communities to decide spending priorities including asset ownership.
Government commits to tackling high street vacancy through High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs), with local authorities empowered to obtain property owner information via Section 16 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 and Section 210 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023.
National Planning Policy Framework revised in December 2024 to ensure brownfield development proposals should 'normally be approved', with definition of previously developed land expanded to include large areas of hardstanding.
Government announcing £5 billion of new capital grant funding for infrastructure and land via a new National Housing Delivery Fund, with CDEL allocations to begin in 2026/27.
Planning and Infrastructure Bill will reform compulsory purchase process to speed decisions, reduce administrative costs, and reform land compensation rules; outstanding reforms from Levelling up and Regeneration Act 2023 to be brought into force.

Tone

Procedural

Topics

public-financelocal-governmentbusiness-supportplanning-developmentdevolution

Key actors

Miatta Fahnbulleh, Liam Byrne, Business and Trade Committee, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (MHCLG), Department for Business and Trade (DBT), Mayoral Strategic Authorities, Local authorities

Notable line

“This Government is fully committed to rejuvenating our high streets and supporting the businesses and communities that make our town centres successful.”

Key Quotes

“This Government is fully committed to rejuvenating our high streets and supporting the businesses and communities that make our town centres successful.”
— Miatta Fahnbulleh · Opening commitment to high street and town centre support

“The Government's flagship Pride in Place programme, which will deliver up to £5bn funding over 10 years to support 244 of Britain's most in -need neighbourhoods, will serve as the cornerstone of our support for communities.”
— Miatta Fahnbulleh · Describing Pride in Place as central to community support strategy

“The Government is clear that brownfield land should be the first port of call. In December 2024, the National Planning Policy Framework was revised to set out that proposals for brownfield de- velopment should normally be approved.”
— Miatta Fahnbulleh · Explaining brownfield development policy priority

“There are now more than 340 BIDs operating in the UK and, according to British BIDs data, cumulatively they invest more than £154 million each year in their local areas.”
— Miatta Fahnbulleh · Highlighting Business Improvement Districts investment in high streets

“The Government recognises the importance of making effective use of land and is keen for authorities to make greater use of their compulsory purchase order (CPO) powers.”
— Miatta Fahnbulleh · Addressing compulsory purchase order reforms

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Source · parliament.uk record ↗