Writing in this week's (October 1st) Bromsgrove Advertiser, Bradley said:
“If you’ve been down to Bromsgrove High Street recently, I’m sure you will have seen that another shop has closed down. That’s more job losses and another unit sat empty on our High Street whilst taxes for business are going up under this Government.
So many of us have seen how our town centres have changed over the past few decades. That being said, compared to many towns across the country, and even here in Worcestershire, Bromsgrove town centre is faring much better than many others.
To reverse the decline of the high street, we must acknowledge the factors that have contributed to that for so long; and the rise of the internet is a predominant one. This means we’re all part of the solution too. If each household in Bromsgrove and the Villages spent an extra £5 per week in the local economy, it would keep about £12 million a year in it and our high streets would benefit.
However, despite the challenges they face, I am hugely optimistic for the future of our town centres. They are the most visible barometer of the vitality and vibrancy of the places where we live.
It’s critical that we look at this issue through two lenses: the national piece and the local factors. Nationally, we urgently need business rates changes. The business rates system has not been updated to keep pace with changing retail habits and the business environment that we seek to create, with a new incentive of investment that will catalyse our town centres.
Whilst a fundamental overhaul of the business rates system is critical to the survival of our town centres, that’s not all that needs to happen. There are solutions at a local level that can be implemented too.
I’m keen to see local councils taking a much more active role in championing their towns and communities as destinations for investment. I say this not through the lens of the planning system, but from the perspective of discovering the vision and potential of the place. What is the quality of the built environment? Which natural, cultural and heritage assets are the hooks to attract high-quality investment from big names, from investors or even from local entrepreneurs who want to create a sense of vitality in their area while creating a living for themselves?
I call on the Government to encourage and support as many councils as possible in the creation of local investment prospectuses that will drive unique investment to capture and catalyse the potential of each of our places. At the same time, the Government must take the difficult choices that will enable them to reduce taxes on businesses and consumers.
I want to see the Government focus on how we can empower local councils to help them catalyse investment in Bromsgrove and the Villages and support the renewal of our high streets.
If we get this right, focus on our town centres, and join the dots on the factors that make our area thrive, then we can really make a difference.”
