More than £830 million will be invested into Britain’s high streets to help local communities recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been revealed.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) said the Future High Streets Fund will be delivered to 72 areas across England.
According to the department, the capital will help “transform” high streets into “vibrant hubs for future generations and to protect and create thousands of jobs”.
This will be achieved by building new homes, improving transport infrastructure, and reforming underused spaces, it said.
Commenting on the report, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “The year ahead will be a big one for the high street as it seeks to recover, adapt and evolve as a result of the pandemic. Today’s £830 million investment from the Future High Streets Fund is one of many ways the government is working to help our much-loved town centres get through this and prosper into the future.
“This investment will help us build back better and make town centres a more attractive place to live, work and visit.”
The initiative comes in addition to existing measures designed to help high street businesses recover from coronavirus disruption. This includes tax deferrals, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), finance and grant funding schemes, the temporary ban on evictions, and providing restaurants, pubs and cafes with the freedom to offer takeaway services.
Commenting on the measures, The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, said: “We are supporting our high streets to get through this pandemic through business grants, paying people’s wages and tax deferrals.”
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