Revitalising Town Centres and High Streets

14 Mar 2026

Town centres and high streets are the beating heart of communities up and down the country. They are the places where we connect, shop, and take pride in where we live. But for too long, they have been allowed to fall into disrepair - blighted by empty shops, cracked pavements, and anti-social behaviour.

The former Conservative Government’s economic mismanagement, and a lack of vision now from Labour, have left our local businesses struggling with unfair taxes and soaring energy costs.

Liberal Democrats have a plan to breathe life back into our town centres.

Today, our members passed a comprehensive new policy to revitalise our high streets, support local entrepreneurs and make our shared spaces safe and sustainable.

Boosting Local Business and Cutting Costs

Our high streets cannot thrive if shops sit empty and small businesses are taxed out of existence. We are calling for immediate action to lower the barriers for local traders:

An Emergency VAT Cut: A temporary cut in VAT from 20% to 15% for hospitality, visitor accommodation, and attractions to boost footfall and help families with the cost of living.
Business Rates Reform: Replacing unfair business rates with a Commercial Landowner Levy to shift the tax burden from struggling tenants to commercial landowners, to stop penalising productive business investment and use land and buildings more efficiently.
Cracking Down on "Ghost" Landlords: Requiring overseas landlords to provide UK contact details and closing loopholes that allow units to be leased to shell companies.
An "Out of Town" Levy: Ensuring large-scale out-of-town developments contribute to a fund that reinvests directly into our high streets.

Creating Spaces People Love

A successful town centre must be more than just a place to shop; it must be a place to belong. Our plan focuses on design, culture, and community:

Community Hubs: Making it easier to convert vacant shops into community spaces without bogged-down planning rules.
High Street Culture & Community Fund: Partnering with the Arts Council to provide five-year grants for community-led cultural initiatives and local events.
Community Investment Schemes: A “High Streets Back Home” scheme allowing local people to invest directly in their community - by supporting community asset purchases, restoring heritage buildings or backing local enterprise space.
Homes Above Shops: Encouraging the conversion of upper floors into quality housing to bring residents - and life - back to the heart of town.

Safe, Clean, and Accessible

No one wants to visit a high street where they don't feel secure. We are taking a zero-tolerance approach to the issues that drive shoppers away:

Tackling Organised Shoplifting: Calling on the National Crime Agency to set up a dedicated unit to dismantle the organised gangs targeting our local stores.
Smarter Design: Investing in strategic lighting and CCTV to discourage anti-social behaviour.
Better Access: Funding high-quality pedestrianisation projects and promoting active travel while reviewing parking charges to ensure they support, rather than hinder, evening and weekend footfall.

Read our new policy in full

Liberal Democrats are committed to building town centres that inspire pride for generations to come. It is time to stop ignoring the decline of our high streets and breathe new life into them as vibrant hubs for the future.