High Streets for All

The mission will deliver enhanced public spaces and exciting new uses for underused high street buildings in every Borough by 2025, working with London's diverse communities.

Why "High Streets for All"?

London’s high streets are the most genuinely inclusive, participative, accessible places in the city, with 90 per cent of all Londoners living within 10 minutes of their local high street. They are home to over 200,000 businesses, 41 per cent of all London’s businesses, hosting nearly 1.5 million jobs, 28 per cent of all jobs in the capital (pre-pandemic).

The impact of the pandemic was uneven across London, with some localised centres benefiting from home working, but other larger centres being impacted on by the closer of large anchor department stores. Challenges continue to face London’s high streets post-pandemic with inflationary pressures coupled with ongoing labour shortages leading to a “cost of doing business” crisis. London is now at risk of losing the critical mix of independent businesses, community or cultural organisations and local services that characterise local high street economies and their ability to promote social integration, undermining resilience now and in the future.

Key achievements

Property X-Change brand and digital platform established. 328 people in network with 17 exchanges events to date.
34 borough-endorsed local partnerships received £20K HSfA Challenge seed funding to support partnership formation and local engagement. 22 partnerships are receiving more substantial funding (£80k to £300k) and are in delivery.
12 Creative Enterprise Zone applications were received for the £1.2m Sustainability Grant fund and the successful projects will be announced in early 2023.

Progress so far

Goal

Increasing the capacity of local authorities and town centre partnerships to work with community groups and the private sector to plan for, safeguard and directly deliver a diverse, resilient and thriving mix of High street and town centre activity within easy reach of all Londoners and at all times of day and night.

Action

£4m High Streets for All Challenge Fund – Developing local partnerships and strategies.
£8m Good Growth Fund Accelerator (GGF)– supporting exemplar place-based & design-led investment.
£500k Night Time Enterprise Zone programme and 24 hr London guidance / licensing pilot projects – Incentivising a night-time economy.
£3m Creative Enterprise Zone Accreditation Programme - supporting the creative sector to thrive.
£40K Community Improvement District (CID) pilot programme – Exploring more representative town centre management.
Street licensing support by London boroughs

Progress

22 schemes being supported to develop detailed strategies. All partnerships are being supported by a GLA programme including Mayor's Design Advocate input to maximise the impact of each project.
8 GGF Accelerator projects are in delivery including for example Kingston Town Centre which will reuse part of a major retail site as a catalyst for a range of activities to increase commercial and social value and set the tone for further development. 140,000sqm public realm delivered (including GGF and Make London).
NTEZ guidance and case studies produced to support boroughs with innovative approaches to licensing to support a 24 hour economy. Small £70K fund for pilot projects launched summer ‘22. 3 successful NTEZ pilots have been announced in November 22.
The accreditation process for the next 3 new CEZs has been completed and the results will be announced in early 2023. This will bring the total to 12 zones across the city.
Two London CID pilots aligned to the HSfA Challenge are part of a national cohort of seven.
To support the hospitality sector, boroughs made it easier for thousands of cafes, restaurants, and bars, to apply for tables and chairs licenses. For example Kensington and Chelsea issued 500 licences for outdoor hospitality, resulting in 3,000 additional outdoor seats across the borough.

Goal

Fostering a culture of ideas, collaboration and invention to bring vacant and underused buildings into productive use; promoting local employment and near home working, protecting existing community and cultural spaces and introducing new types of businesses and civic organisations.

Action

£500k Make London community crowdfunding programme.
£200k Boosting Community Business London.
£100k Property X-Change digital platform and network.
£50k Tomorrow’s Market Programme.
£125k Good Growth by Design Public Realm research: Public London Charter / Expanding London’s Public Realm guidance / Safety for Women and Girls and Gender Diverse People.

Progress

39 Make London projects supported, 30 delivered. Campaigns backed by 5,000 Londoners drawing in £800K match funding/resources.
10 organisations supported to establish themselves as viable community businesses and consider community share to raise capital for asset purchase. Aim to support 50 grass-roots organisations.
Property X-Change a mix of live events, case studies and Q&A. The project is demonstrating an ability to promote collaboration and knowledge exchange.
London Market Board appointed, case study research complete to be published in 2023.
Public London Charter, Expanding London’s Public Realm and Women and Girls and Gender Diverse People guidance delivered.

Goal

Improving range and accessibility of data to determine investment and policy priorities and to help to evaluate success for high street interventions.

Action

£150k GLA (£460k Subscriptions) High Street Data Service and Partnership.

Progress

23 Boroughs signed up for the service in first year. 8 have re-subscribed for Y2.  Retain the target of 50% of boroughs utilise the service.

Goal

Building a community of practice.

Action

High Street Network and Mayor’s Design Advocate Support (including Design Review).

Progress

Support workshops delivered at each stage of High Streets for All Challenge.

Proposed timeline for the future of the mission

Q2 2023

UKSPF

32 borough place based allocation into contract.

Q2 2023

UKSPF

Business Support Programme providing “cost of doing business” support – awards made.

Q2 2023

Community Improvement Districts – launch findings 

Q2 2023