Ever since the economic crisis of 2008, the vitality of town
centres and high streets has been a cause for concern for the
public and policy makers - fears for the demise of the town centre
and the death of the high street have been staple media headlines
ever since.
The London Assembly Regeneration
Committee publishes its report ‘Centres
for Excellence? Good Growth through town centre
regeneration’ today. It
recommends the Mayor needs to ensure that his policies
support town centre regeneration to:
- Create good jobs with stability, decent pay and prospects for
progress
- Put in place the right social infrastructure to support
communities – both old and new - to grow and strengthen
- Involve and engage communities along the way to shape the
direction development is taking
AM, Chair of the
Regeneration Committee, said:
“Despite social and economic pressures, London’s town centres
have proved relatively resilient.
With London’s expected population growth, there is a
significant
need for
land for more
employment space and new homes. The Mayors’ new draft London Plan
identifies London’s town centres as sites for a significant part
of this new development and growth.
Town centres are already clusters of economic activity often
with good transport links.
However, as well as being important economic
hubs, town centres are important in giving a sense of place, a
social and cultural anchor to Londoners in a fast-changing global
city.
The important thing is that our town centres retain their
individual character and continue to serve the diverse needs of
local communities under the pressure of new
developments. The report highlights the
need for constructive engagement with local communities to make
sure town centres reflect the social and cultural needs of local
residents.”
