‘A Platform for Places: Reviving Town Centres By Changing How Communities Access Property’ by Radix and Platform Places proposes five ways central government can enable partnerships that deliver social impact and local benefit.
What is the report responding to?
Councils and asset owners want vibrant town centres that meet ESG goals but tend to lack the incentives, networks, or resources to collaborate effectively with communities and socially-trading organisations (STOs) to activate their assets.
Published in June 2022, this report sets out a series of practical recommendations to overcome this challenge.
“Amazing things happen in town centres when communities with ideas and businesses have easy and cheap access to property. Without this access, we can’t revitalise our high streets.”
Bex Trevalyan, Co-founder, Platform Places and Library of Things
What are the 5 ways to enable collaboration?
- Launch capital and revenue funds
- Set out community letting policies for councils
- Support councils as intermediaries
- Tackle long-term vacant and derelict assets (last resort tools only)
- Provide business rates relief for socially-trading organisations (STOs)
“Our high streets are not in decline. We just can’t easily get into the buildings and spaces to do the things we need to do to make them thrive. The government accepting the recommendations in this paper would be a great start, but the key to unlocking the potential of our high streets is collaboration between all those with an interest in their future – local authorities, asset owners, STOs, community leaders and funders.”
Bex Trevalyan, Co-founder, Platform Places and Library of Things
Contributor
- Bex Trevalyan, Platform Places
Authors
- Bex Trevalyan, Platform Places
- David Boyle, Radix Big Tent
- Frances Northrop, New Economics Foundation
- Nick Plumb, Power to Change
- Nalin Seneviratne, Porter Brook & Associates
The report was prepared by Radix and sponsored by Shoosmiths and Power to Change.
