Local residents are set to gain authority to prevent the opening of new vape and gambling stores as part of a plan to rejuvenate the high streets in the UK. Keir Starmer is scheduled to introduce town planning reforms that will grant communities more influence over the location and quantity of stores in their towns.
The Prime Minister is anticipated to announce additional funding to support these changes, with funds allocated to local councils and community projects. The government is also exploring ways to expedite community initiatives to transform vacant shops, preventing the clustering of vape, gambling, and barber shops on high streets.
Steve Reed, the new Housing, Communities, and Local Government Secretary, emphasized the need to empower neglected communities and provide them with the resources to enhance their areas for a more prosperous future.
Recent studies have shown a significant surge in vape shops on England’s high streets, with a staggering increase of nearly 1,200% over the past decade. Moreover, deprived areas have been found to host up to 25 times more bookmakers and pawnbrokers compared to wealthier regions.
Labour MPs, amidst the rise of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, have been concentrating on addressing fundamental issues affecting their local communities. Dawn Butler led a campaign to clean up high streets and advocated for changes in the law to enable councils and residents to have a greater say in regulating the proliferation of betting and gaming establishments in poorer areas.
Andrew Pakes, MP for Peterborough, is actively engaged in revitalizing his city’s struggling high streets, which have witnessed a surge in vape and gambling outlets. He expressed the necessity for visible improvements to address the distress evident on high streets and meet the community’s desire for change.