Sefton Council is among the first 70 councils in the UK which will benefit from targeted, hands-on support from the government’s High Streets Task Force.
The task force is made up of an elite team of high street experts who will advise them on how to adapt to meet changing consumer demands so they can thrive in the years ahead.
Task Force Experts will consult with local leaders from government, Southport BID, business, and the community to diagnose any issues blocking transformation and to recommend ways to make positive change happen on the high street.
Tailored support
This support will be tailored to a specific local high street or centre to help create the best vision and strategies for the area.
Following a one-day expert visit, each location can receive a range of services offered by the Task Force, including expert consultancy, mentoring, visioning or place making workshops, access to local footfall data, and training programmes for place managers and leaders.
Learning from the support provided to selected locations is then expected to be applied to other places, by the local authority and stakeholders in the area.
Selecting locations for support
The first 70 local authorities, including Sefton Council, have been selected to enable support to be delivered where it’s needed most.
Regional indicators of deprivation and inequality have been used, alongside research on the impact of COVID-19 on high street retail, to produce the list of areas that would most benefit from support for their local place making capacity.
Visits to each of these areas will continue until mid-2022, when a further list of local authorities will be nominated.
Full list of local authorities benefiting from High Streets Task Force support.
This builds on the Task Force’s existing offer open to all high streets and town centres that wish to use it.
This offer includes access to a range of online training, data dashboards and guidance, available to all on the Task Force’s website.
Find more information on the High Streets Task Force and its membership.
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