Author - Robin Bowman, Senior Business Editor
Not all High Streets in all UK towns are in decline; but most small businesses will admit that times are tough. And surviving, let alone thriving, is only getting tougher.
The challenges come from many areas. Most pressing is the economic situation. But, longer term, there are other more creeping threats, such as out-of-town retail shopping with its easy convenience and, of course, the ever-growing online channel, with its massive choice and empowering comparison sites. 
But, as TV retail guru Mary Portas has pointed out in her government-commissioned report, High Street Review, there is a heck of a lot that can be done to inject new life into town centres and the small businesses that rely on High Street locations.
Like most of the best ideas, many of the recommendations she makes are just plain commonsense. What’s more, those who run small businesses have been banging on about them for years!
The fact that it’s taken a TV celebrity to put the needs of small businesses in the High Street in the media spotlight and on the government’s urgent ‘To Do’ list might strike some people as irritating. But, the fact is, it’s all better late than never.
Because the need is pressing.
A parallel government-commissioned report - ‘Understanding High Street Performance’ reveals that a third of High Streets are ‘degenerating or failing.’ It also shows that retail spending in town centres is down from 49 per cent of all retail spending in 2000 to 42 per cent now. It’s projected to decline to 40 per cent by 2014.
So, the problem is acute and Mary Portas’s recommendations deserve acting upon.
She has called for a completely new approach to our High Streets, which she says are still operating as they were in the 1960s. Instead, they need to be run like businesses.
The Mary Portas approach will be like a breath of fresh air to small businesses.
She recommends creating town centres that are not just about shopping, but that serve many functions; in this way footfall will be increased and the retail offering strengthened.
She talks about the example of siting a gym in a High Street, something that would attract people who haven’t just come to shop. And she urges the introduction of national market days - again with the idea of stimulating all-important footfall.
A key idea is the setting up of Town Teams, or involved people who care and want to influence their town centres. Policies these teams will come up with will vary wildly, naturally, depending on the established character of a town centre, its demographic profile and its ambitions. But the idea of establishing teams concerned specifically with business development is excellent.
One of the more down-to-earth recommendations - and one that would probably have the most dramatic and immediate impact - is the provision of much more affordable parking in town centres. High parking charges are a great way for local authorities to raise cash, so this change will involve longer-term vision on their part.
The desperate need to tackle this issue is plain for anyone to see. And in fact a recent survey by the Federation of Small Businesses found that a full 50 per cent of its members felt the lack of affordable parking was damaging their business.
Licensing rules should also be relaxed for market traders, making it easier for people to set up stalls and trade. Restrictions on night-time deliveries should also be axed.
On top of this, Ms Portas urges targeted interventions by local authorities on business rates to attract and retain small retailers.
Overall, then, what we’re talking about is some planning, some simple, commonsense, proactive measures and generally putting town centres at the top of the priority list. Certainly, that’s what’s needed if the private sector in these locations is going to create the jobs that are needed.
Let’s hope the government, which has certainly talked the talk about helping small businesses, will also - as the saying goes - ‘walk the walk’. And that means forcing local authorities to put long-term planning and its benefits ahead of the immediate need to raise revenue.
Robin has been a journalist for more than 20 years, during which time he has held several senior media management positions in both Fleet Street and Hong Kong. Robin recently returned to the UK after being based in Italy for six years. He has a passion for business innovation.
The content of this article reflects the views of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views of Premierline Direct
