Green Party Proposes Affordable Leases to Support Local Businesses
The Green Party of England and Wales has announced a commitment to establish "affordable" leases for local businesses as part of its strategy to rejuvenate high streets.
The party has outlined a blueprint aimed at revitalising high streets in councils where it gains control in the upcoming May local elections in England.
According to the party, any council governed by the Greens would employ compulsory purchase orders to reclaim long-term vacant shops for public use.
Once these properties are under public ownership, the shops would be leased to small businesses at rates considered affordable by the council.
The plan also includes empowering residents to influence the development of their high streets through citizen assemblies, which convene groups of people to discuss public policy issues and provide recommendations.
Green leader Zack Polanski unveiled the plan in Manchester alongside Hannah Spencer, the party's newly elected MP for Gorton and Denton.
"Our three-step plan will keep wealth in the very communities that generate it and make high streets places that reflect local priorities," Polanski said.
He added that Green councillors would "use the powers local authorities have" to acquire "empty and derelict properties and get our high streets thriving again".
Compulsory purchase orders are generally regarded as a last-resort tool by councils due to their high costs, considerable legal risks, and the need for specialised expertise.
Successive governments have encouraged councils to utilise these orders as a means to regenerate town centres.
However, the Local Government Association noted last year that councils have reported that compulsory purchase orders demand "considerable resources to be of any significant use in facilitating town centre regeneration".
The Greens are also urging the government to grant councils authority to regulate rents for small businesses, aiming to prevent landlords from increasing prices excessively and displacing independent retailers.
Currently, councils in England lack the power to control private sector rents and cannot prevent landlords from raising rents according to market conditions.
High Street Decline
High streets have experienced a prolonged decline, driven by evolving consumer habits and the rise of online shopping, which have led to numerous retail business closures.
In 2024, a total of 12,804 shops and outlets closed on UK high streets, shopping centres, and retail parks, compared to 9,002 new openings, according to a report by PwC, a consultancy firm.
The condition of high streets has become an increasingly significant political issue, with various parties proposing different measures to support retail businesses.
Last year, the Labour government announced plans to grant communities "new powers to seize boarded-up shops." These plans included expanding compulsory purchase orders and enabling councils to block certain shops, such as vape stores.
The Conservative Party’s high streets strategy focuses on eliminating business rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses, up to an annual cap of £110,000.
The party has also proposed measures to reduce electricity bills for businesses and pledged to recruit an additional 10,000 police officers to address crime on high streets.
The Liberal Democrats advocate for a temporary reduction in VAT from 20% to 15% for hospitality, visitor accommodation, and attractions, along with a new business levy designed to shift the tax burden from tenants to commercial landowners.
Reform UK criticises "sky-high business rates and parking charges imposed by local authorities that don't understand business," which it says are "crippling the great British high street."
The party proposes abolishing business rates for all pubs and plans to introduce further initiatives to support high streets in the future.
