Community-led High Street Innovators

We’re collaborating with a small number of community businesses to test and learn how community-led high street regeneration projects can be a model for communities everywhere.

Testing solutions for community-led high street renewal 

The Community-Led High Street Innovators is testing how community-led action can revitalise high streets and town centres across England.

The project supports community businesses to develop their work on the high street, using community-led approaches to regenerate their local places. It focuses on communities taking space on high streets and increasing their role in decision-making about their local high street or town centre.

Meet the innovators

Artspace Lifespace

Artspace Lifespace

Location: Bristol

Dewsbury Arcade Group

Dewsbury Arcade Group

Location: Dewsbury

Madlab

Madlab

Location: Stockport

Make LCR

Make LCR

Location: Birkenhead

Southmead Development Trust

Southmead Development Trust

Location: Bristol

What we want to achieve

Together, the Innovators are exploring different models for community involvement over their high streets. This includes involvement in vacant property task forces and local partnerships, creating a Commercial Property Database and Vacant Property Toolkit, testing new policy powers like High Street Rental Auctions, and exploring alternative approaches to cultural placemaking to avoid extractive town centre regeneration.

Over the next 12 months, Community-Led High Street Innovators will demonstrate what is possible when communities lead efforts to revitalise their area. Evidence will emerge through the work on the ground, using an evidence-gathering framework to understand the barriers communities face in high street regeneration

Shaping high streets policy

To strengthen this emerging evidence, a High Street Policy Reference Group will bring together a network of policymakers and influencers, funders and experts to explore complex issues of high street and town centre regeneration and promoting community-led development. Through quarterly meetings, the group members will share best practice and research, develop policy ideas and recommendations, and contribute to the emerging evidence from the Community-Led High Street Innovators.

Get inspired

Stories from communities breathing life back into places.

Friends of Stretford Public Hall

Friends of Stretford Public Hall

After saving a cherished Victorian grade II listed ballroom through a community share offer, Friends of Stretford Public Hall have transformed the space into a vibrant community hub. They've now set their sights on helping the community have more say over their town centre's regeneration, including through participation in our Community Improvement District pilot.
Department

Department

Ryde on the Isle of Wight has a rich cultural and artistic history - with one of the UK’s oldest carnivals taking place in the town.  Shademakers UK are helping to tell the story of Ryde’s creative past by restoring a 300-year-old former department store. They are very hopeful that the project will create pride in the area and bring more people to the town centre. 
Sparks

Sparks

When a flagship department store closed in Bristol, two local organisations took on a mission to revive the building and help regenerate the city centre.  Sparks, the reimagined department store, opened in 2023. With more than 750,000 visitors to date, they’ve made a significant impact on their community by creating a vibrant space for everyone and attracting new people and businesses to the area.  
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