...but the onus is also on the government to back words with actions when it comes to small shops, says Jonathan James


Go to any village or town with a busy high street anywhere in the UK and without doubt, you will find a thriving community. The two go hand in hand, as high streets are the natural focal point for community activity.

They are the glue that holds together the very fabric of society and are absolutely essential in maintaining it. A high street is the DNA of a town or village community. The mix of shops, pubs, banks and restaurants is unique to the community it serves and has evolved over the generations. Businesses that are locally owned and operated are best placed to react to the ever-changing demands of a local population.

The government therefore needs to do all it can to preserve the national treasure that is the high street. It is hardly a new concept; back in 1996, John Gummer, then Environment Secretary, recognised the need to protect town centres. The then Conservative government passed legislation accordingly. Now, if the local population wants a supermarket, the local authorities must ensure that the supermarket is located to the benefit of all. High streets by their nature need footfall and that must be preserved.

The town-centre-first policy and needs tests are exactly correct and I have seen numerous examples throughout the UK where forward thinking local authorities have ensured that supermarkets located in the high street have helped to maintain or indeed increase the footfall for the benefit of all.

I have also seen high streets where councils have been misled by developers and located the supermarkets on land that was otherwise of no use, sited a long way from the town centre. I am sure the sweet taste of success on the developers' lips did not last anywhere near as long as the bitter taste in the mouth of the communities when they realised just how inaccessible the new supermarkets were. The usual pattern follows. A once-thriving shop closes, to reopen as a club or wine bar. Windows are boarded up and vandalism takes hold. The vibrant, unique high street that was a pleasure to shop as well as to socialise in transforms into an alcohol fuelled cauldron of disorder by night. A once 'must attend' location becomes a 'no go' area in a very short time.

Local authorities need to have the power to ensure they can locate supermarkets to the benefit of all. With Local Development Frameworks either well under way or completed, local councils need the tools to help them interpret the requirements and wishes of the communities they serve more than ever. Once the local consultation has been completed the work of the planners then begins. The input of the elected members on the planning committees is essential to maintaining the key input of local knowledge.

It is essential the foundations for our high streets' survival are laid now. Our generation has been given a well tuned, bespoke and healthy heart to pump the lifeblood into the veins of society.

Politicians throughout history have recognised the importance of a bustling town centre. In recent months, there has been a great deal of spin from politicians speaking in favour of small shops and high streets. However, spin alone won't save them. We need substance and we need it now. We are not the owners of the high streets; we are merely this generation's custodians.


Jonathan James is MD of James Graven & Sons.