‘Vital and Viable’, the good practice guidance that accompanied the old PPG6 included a large survey of planning authorities. A fifth of town centres in 1995, it was reported, were then thought to be ‘declining’, while only a few metropolitan cities and historic towns thought of themselves as ‘vibrant’.

What would the results of such a survey be now?

Oasis, Warehouse, Debenhams and Cath Kidston have filed for administration and between M&S, John Lewis, Boots and WH Smith 14,000 jobs could be at risk.

According to the ONS, online sales in March were up 13% year-on-year, including a substantial 52% growth in sales of household goods. ONS data up to 26 July showed that footfall in UK High Streets, retail parks and shopping centres was 60% of what it was a year previously.

On the one hand, with just one in six workers back in the office and two-thirds of chief executives predicting a move to low density office usage, the prospects for city centre sandwich shops and bars that rely on lunchtime and after work trade look bleak. On the other hand the prospects for independent businesses in the towns and villages where former commuters might be spending their money look rosier.

Can the High Street be saved? Should the High Street be saved? What, indeed, do we even mean by the High Street? What role does the planning system have in answering these questions?

Sam Stafford puts these questions to Iain Jenkinson, Rebecca Trevalyan and Bill Grimsey.

Iain (@iain_jenkinson) is a Senior Director at CBRE and has spent twenty years advising private and public sector clients on city and town centre regeneration projects.

Rebecca (@RTrevalyan) is a co-founder of social enterprise Library of Things and an advocate for community-powered neighbourhoods. Rebecca co-authored the Grimsey Review Covid-19 Supplement Report: ‘Build Back Better’.

Bill (@BillGrimsey) is known for his leadership at Wickes, Iceland and Focus, and is arguably the most high-profile advocate for our High Streets, publishing reports in 2013 and 2018, as well as the recent Covid-19 update mentioned above.

Some accompanying reading.

The Grimsey Review Covid-19 Supplement Report: ‘Build Back Better’.

http://www.vanishinghighstreet.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Grimsey-Covid-19-Supplement-June-2020.pdf

'Life after Coronavirus: A new high street is waiting — if we’re brave enough to reimagine access to property' by Rebecca.

https://medium.com/@rebecca.trevalyan/life-after-coronavirus-a-new-high-street-is-waiting-if-were-brave-enough-to-reimagine-access-9b123875d6f

'The future of high streets and how we can all play a part' by Chris Sands.

https://totallylocally.org/stuff/blog/the-future-of-high-streets-how-we-can-all-play-a-part/

'A different way to save the high street' by Josh Lowe.

https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/high-street-shops-community-marks-and-spencer

Rebecca's Twitter Mega-Thread on alternative uses.

https://twitter.com/rtrevalyan/status/1270662358600425472?s=21

Participatory City.

http://www.participatorycity.org/about

Some accompanying listening.

'Shopping' by the Pet Shop Boys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoIe_JatFfI