Portas Review on high streets released

13 December 2011

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Mary Portas has published her findings on how to improve the outlook for Britain's high streets.

The review, which was commissioned by the government, promotes disincentivising landlords from leaving their premises unoccupied.

It also recommends allowing councils to step in if the commercial mortgage holder or owner of a building is deemed to be behaving negligently, as well as examining how the business rate system could be better implemented and supporting affordable parking in urban centres.

These areas should also be prioritised in planning, while larger retailers ought to be encouraged to support high streets, the Portas Review continued.

The British Property Federation welcomed aspects of these proposals but expressed concern regarding the policies on unoccupied structures.

"No landlord would deliberately leave a property empty - the government's existing, damaging tax on empty shops means it makes no economic sense and simply sucks investment from high streets," chief executive of the organisation Liz Peace declared.