Levelling up the high street

Abstract

The decline in high-street retail over recent years has prompted the UK Government to introduce the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, which at time of writing is making its way through Parliament. It aims, among other things, to reduce the number of vacant units on high streets in England and Wales by giving local authorities the power to put vacant high-street properties into rental auctions. This paper examines the key provisions of Part 10 of the Bill, as currently drafted, and the effect it is likely to have on the market for high-street properties.