Just over a decade ago, the Localism Act entered the Statue Book. Heralded as the necessary impetus for a new era of community empowerment, Localism sought to provide a catalyst by which decision-making powers would be handed to local councils, communities and individuals. The benefits were to be the strengthening of local economies, the rebalancing of economic growth and locally-led solutions through partnership and collaboration. A set of Community Rights was established, giving communities a framework to protect and own valued local assets, influence local planning and development, and run local services.

Following its 10th birthday, has Localism been the catalyst for change that we thought it would be?

At a macro level, the evidence is not positive. In 2017, Locality established the Commission on the Future of Localism. This found, eight years on from the much-vaunted launch of Localism, that community spirit, rather than being empowered by Localism, had in fact declined. Asked about the specific vehicles of Localism, 79% of UK residents said that they were unaware of the Community Rights that the Act had introduced. So this suggests very clearly that people didn’t see evidence of Localism on the ground.

As is quite naturally the case in planning, however, the true success or failure is more granular, varying considerably in different parts of the country and even in different neighbourhoods within the same local planning authority. This gives us some insight into why the pace of change associated specifically with Localism appears to have been so slow, but there are in fact examples of local communities taking action at the micro level which are evidence of greater empowerment and action.

As an advisor to the Government’s High Streets Task Force and a London-based planning consultant, I have followed with interest the impact of devolved powers on the capital’s diverse neighbourhoods, just as I have the numerous Government-commissioned studies and independent reports on the future of the high street and its ability to battle the ‘perfect storm’ that engulfs it.

And more recently it has been fascinating to observe in some communities the return to a more local lifestyle brought about by the pandemic – specifically the increased sense of a ‘15-minute neighbourhood’.

Essentially local character, condition and circumstance is what informs any SWOT analysis – and consequently any resulting decisions and strategies. Across the country, the approaches are quite different. Furthermore, a genuine understanding of a high street isn’t simply a description, but an understanding of how it functions for its residents. It considers a variety of facets including history, culture, attractions, quality of retailing/services and other factors, such as the price of parking and accessibility.

So what is the role of Localism in high street regeneration? Is it solely local people and residents who can solve the problem, with a limited role for businesses or use of planning policy to support change? Or is it a combination of the two?

Organisations such as the High Streets Task Force have done much to understand how the winds of change have battered the high street and how the ‘perfect storm’ can be calmed. But there is no doubt in my mind that the best results are achieved when the impetus comes from the community and they are allowed to engage effectively with the property industry and with the planning process, especially around the drive for 15-minute neighbourhoods.

There are some diverse examples of communities in action in London. These groups have been actively involved in developing bespoke strategies and specific initiatives that mean something for them, but they have not been able to do it alone:

  • Residents of Edmonton Angel Community Together Group have developed a strategy to intensify the use of the Fore Street Living Room Library to support local enterprise and develop a cultural programme which supports the night-time economy. 
  • Lewisham Council has built a partnership with public services, landowners, businesses, cultural organisations, education providers and the local community to agree a shared vision for the high street’s future.
  • Future Wood Green BID has assessed the potential for neighbourhood kitchens to support local food start-ups and catalyse high street revival. 
  • Greenwich Council has used the market to create an inclusive night-time economy with regular evening street eateries run by the Good Food in Greenwich network. 

These examples illustrate what can be achieved and how each solution was very much bespoke to each location.

The Government’s latest review on the subject, published in July, is Build Back Better High Streets, which contains five objectives: breathing new life into empty buildings, supporting high street businesses, improving the public realm, creating safe and clean spaces and celebrating pride in local communities. It promises £10bn of investment to councils, business groups and communities to support this and complements the excellent work of the High Streets Task Force.

Of each of the report’s objectives, I believe pride in local communities to be the most important, because I believe that our local communities are key to the revitalisation of our high streets. Councils and businesses have an important role to play, but residents as local consumers will ultimately bring about success. Community-led regeneration is about understanding local needs and responding accordingly. And we need to take a long-view: it is not so much about the immediate response to Covid-19 as the general threats and opportunities, challenges and changes.