- High Streets UK – a pro-growth, nationwide partnership of flagship high streets – represents over 5,000 businesses across the country, contributing £50 billion in GVA annually
- Founding members include business representatives from Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, London, and Newcastle
- The group’s inaugural quarterly forum, held in Liverpool, focused on the Government’s proposed business rates reform, announced in the 2024 Autumn Budget
- High Streets UK sets out a series of recommendations for the Treasury to drive growth and protect flagship high streets from becoming unviable due to high tax burden
High Streets UK - Press Releases
Business representatives across the UK launch policy recommendations in response to business rates reform
Business representatives, including Director of Bristol City Centre BID, unite to launch policy recommendations aimed at protecting flagship high streets and preserving jobs and investment.
10/03/2025
High Streets UK, a pro-growth partnership of over 5,000 businesses across the country, released today a series of policy recommendations in response to the Government’s Business Rates Discussion Paper. The group’s asks are informed by insights from its hundreds of member businesses operating on flagship high streets nationwide.
Under the Government’s proposed business rates reform, properties with a rateable value of more than £500,000 could be subject to a business rates multiplier up to 10p higher than the current levy. This would place a disproportionate burden on physical flagship high street locations risking the viability of properties in areas like Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool, and London. The upcoming 2026 revaluation adds further uncertainty, disincentivising near-term investment.
High Streets UK is calling on the Government to take urgent action to avoid unintended consequences such as store closures and job losses. Key recommendations include conducting a full impact assessment of proposed multiplier increases and freezing any hike in the higher multiplier until 2027/28 to provide greater certainty.
High Street UK’s proposals are calling on the Government to:
• Conduct a full impact assessment of proposed multiplier increases to examine how the Government’s proposed changes could affect job growth and future investment.
• Fix the multipliers immediately, rather than increasing them annually in line with CPI.
• Freeze any hike in the higher multiplier until 2027/28 to give businesses the certainty over their costs needed to invest in the short term.
• Retain a portion of locally collected rates and ring-fence it for investment in the corresponding flagship high street area, so those who pay the highest rates see a positive impact on services on their doorstep.
• Extend Empty Property Relief from 3 months to 6 months, followed by a 50% discount thereafter, to align with the average time it takes for a retail unit to find a new occupier (12-18 months).
• Build in transitional relief for businesses that would be required to pay the higher multiplier.
Vicky Lee, Director of Bristol City Centre BID on behalf of Visit West Bristol BIDs, said:
"Bristol’s high street businesses are a crucial part of our city’s economy, driving jobs, tourism and investment. While business rates reform is necessary, it must be designed in a way that supports, rather than hinders, the future of our flagship high streets. Through High Streets UK, we’re ensuring that Bristol’s voice is heard at a national level, advocating for reforms that provide stability and confidence for businesses to invest, grow and thrive. We urge the Government to take a balanced approach, ensuring that rates remain competitive and that businesses have the certainty they need to plan ahead. A thriving high street benefits not just retailers, but the entire city, from independent businesses to local communities."Dee Corsi, Chair of High Streets UK and Chief Executive of Founding Member, New West End Company, commented:
"Flagship high streets are the economic and social anchors of our cities – they create jobs, drive local and national growth, and serve as vital hubs for communities. Moreover, within a high street ecosystem, it is often the larger retail, leisure and hospitality units which drive footfall and spend in smaller neighbouring businesses. If you put these larger stores at risk, the impact will be felt across the entire high street. As a collective voice for these high streets, High Streets UK is calling on the Government to take urgent action to safeguard their future, ensuring our city centres remain dynamic, competitive, and resilient.”