Jack Brereton, Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent South, successfully got his ‘High Streets (Designation, Review and Improvement Plan) Bill’ over the latest parliamentary hurdle whilst in the house of Commons today.
The new Bill is focused on improving the condition of our high streets by getting local authorities to assess the condition of their high streets and come up with action plans to help them improve. The Bill does not create new powers for local authorities but is about getting them to better use the powers they have already got, working with other stakeholders on our high streets, to focus on providing the focus our high streets need to improve.
In January this year the Bill passed its Second Reading in parliament. The Second Reading allowed MPs in the House of Commons their first opportunity to debate the main principles of the Bill and MPs voted in favour of clearing the Bill. During the debate in Parliament, the Bill managed to attract support from across the political divide.
Since the Bill cleared its Second Reading, Jack Brereton MP has been working with colleagues in Government and across Parliament to ensure the new legislation was prepared for its next parliamentary hurdle known as the Committee Stage.
Committee stage is where detailed examination of the Bill takes place. Amendments (proposals for change) were selected by the chairman of the committee and Jack Brereton MP was pleased to see that amendments aimed at improving the Bill were successfully and unanimously voted through by members during the Committee Stage.
Following the debate Jack Brereton said:
“I am delighted to get this important new law that will help revive our high streets through the Committee Stage of Parliament. I was especially pleased to see MPs from all sides vote unanimously in favour of passing the Bill to the next parliamentary stage.”
“Residents in North Staffordshire know that our high streets have been faced with many challenges and my Bill is about helping them to turn the corner. Now that the Bill has cleared the Committee Stage in Parliament, we are one huge step closer to getting Royal Assent and turning this into law.”
“Once signed into law my Bill will ensure local councils work properly with local communities and businesses. Voters expect their council to be proactive in supporting their high streets, and this Bill will help high streets up and down England in getting that much needed support.”
During the Committee Stage, the Minister for Levelling Up, Jacob Young MP, said:
“I am grateful for the honourable member’s leadership on this issue and I am very pleased to be speaking in Committee on this important Bill.”
“The Government has committed to funding the costs of up to three designations per local authority. The Bill will allow local authorities to designate further high streets on a voluntary basis.”
“Overall, this Bill will ensure that local authorities are effectively supporting the high streets in their area to thrive. Ensuring that everyone has access to a high street they are proud of is a key priority for this Government and is why we are very happy to support this Bill, which will sit alongside our other interventions on the high streets such as the Long-Term Plan for Towns and High Street Task Force.”
The ‘High Streets (Designation, Review and Improvement Plan) Bill’ introduced by Jack Brereton MP has been done so as a Private Members’ Bill (PMB) and follows him securing eighth place in the PMB ballot. PMBs are public bills introduced by backbench MPs and Lords who are not government ministers. As with other public bills their purpose is to change the law as it applies to the general population.
The long title of the ‘High Streets (Designation, Review and Improvement Plan) Bill’ outlines the brief description of the Bill’s aims as follows:
Bill to require local authorities to designate high streets in their area; to require local authorities to undertake and publish periodic reviews of the condition of those high streets; to require local authorities to develop action plans for the improvement of the condition of those high streets; and for connected purposes.
For full details of the Bill, please see here:
