The Government are committed to helping local authorities and the retail sector encourage innovative town centre redevelopment through planning, town centre partnerships, town centre management and other town centre initiatives. These all help to provide solid foundations on which to build strong and attractive town centres.
We have put in place strong policies in Planning Policy Statement 6: “Planning for Town Centres” (PPS6) (published 2005), to allow local authorities to sustain and enhance their town centres. PPS6 asks local planning authorities to plan positively and proactively for their town centres with growth focused in existing centres in order to strengthen them and, where appropriate, regenerate them.
On 14 April 2009 we published “Looking after our town centres”, a document setting out the range of powers, guidance and approaches that can help local authorities and their partners promote the vitality and viability of town centres, and explains additional steps that the Government are taking to enable further positive action to be taken, particularly through the temporary use of empty shops.
On 5 May 2009 we also published a consultation draft Planning Policy Statement 4 (PPS4): “Planning for Prosperous Economies” which will replace PPS6. This maintains a strong town centres first policy. Draft PPS4 reinforces the existing policy requirement for local authorities to plan proactively for their areas in partnership with business and local communities. We want authorities to identify suitable opportunities for new development, expand town centres where necessary, and address the needs of deprived areas.