During a meeting with MPs and representatives of the Portas Pilots and Town Team Partners, the Minister for Housing and Local Growth unveiled the guidance available to help set up pop-up shops in high streets across the country.
Mark Prisk said: “The high street is changing, with businesses facing stiff competition from online and out of town stores. We are committed to rejuvenating the high street and want to ensure that there are no empty spaces left in our town centres while small businesses struggle to reach customers.
“We know that most start-ups would benefit from trading on the high street and that’s why we are encouraging the creation of pop-up shops to get empty spaces used and to help businesses test their ideas in the market.
“Our own pop-up shop is giving small businesses the opportunity to trial trading in the high street and we want to see this idea replicated across the country”.
Attendees also visited the pop-up shop set up in the Department for Communities and Local Government’s building and spoke to retailers about the opportunities and challenges of setting up a temporary store in their high street.
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1. The government is providing over £80 million of start-up loans for young entrepreneurs, which could create over 30,000 new businesses. Ministers are also changing planning restrictions so that landlords can alter how an empty shop is used for up to two years. These steps will make it easier for start-up businesses to set up in the high street.
2. A multi-million pound strategy is backing local partnerships such as the 27 Portas Pilots and over 330 Town Teams to breathe new life into their town centres. This includes mentoring from retail experts and workshops to address town centre challenges.
3. Further measures available to help revitalise the high street include:
- a £1million Future High Street X-Fund, which will be awarded to areas with the most creative and effective schemes to rejuvenate their town centres closed December & winners to be announced in March;
- a National Markets Fortnight from15– 29May , to celebrate the role markets can play and offer budding entrepreneurs the chance to test their business ideas; and
- a £500,000 fund for Business Improvement Districts, to help town centres access loans for their set-up costs
- Doubling small business rate relief for three and a half years to help small shops, and making it easier for small firms to claim small business rate relief through the Localism Act. Over half a million businesses in England are expected to benefit, with about one third of a million of businesses paying no rates
4. Start Up Britain have devised a pop-up-specific tool kit for Town Teams – including a national pop up lease, available at: http://popupbritain.com/guidance-for-town-teams/popup-britain-kit
5. The DCLG Pop-Up Shop has hosted 18 businesses since it was launched in December 2012.
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