High streets like Mansfield need to 'evolve away from retail', says communities secretary

Speaking on a visit to the town, the Newark MP and secretary of state for communities, housing and local government, says changing consumer habits are putting a strain on the high street – meaning town centres can no longer rely on retail.

It comes just a week after the announcement that high-street giant GAME was to shut its Four Seasons Shopping Centre branch later this year, amidst a battle with online retail and a reduced footfall.

Historic department store Beales, also in Four Seasons, too revealed earlier this week that it was facing going into administration in what could be another big blow to Mansfield’s high street.

Mr Jenrick, whose government department is responsible for providing Mansfield, Sutton and Kirkby with up to £25 million each in Towns Funds, as well as a potential further £25 million for Mansfield and Sutton in Future High Streets funding, says a new approach is needed to keep our towns thriving.

He said: “Consumer habits are changing, we’re all shopping more online and that’s putting a lot of pressure on the high street.

“We can’t turn back the tide of that, if anything that’s only going to accelerate in the years ahead because we’re one of the leading countries in the world for online retail.

“What high streets can become are destinations for leisure, for good-quality independent shops and for the things that you would never be able to buy online.

“We need to get more homes in the town centres, and one of our explicit objectives is to ensure there’s more footfall driven by having more people living and working around the town centres.

“Hopefully, the investments that will be made through the town deals will be the beginning of that, enabling places like Mansfield to draw up a long-term strategic plan on how you can transform the high street, helping it to adapt and evolve.”

The two funding waves could see as much as £125 million pumped into our region to boost the town centres.

Mr Jenrick expects the first Towns Fund grants to arrive later this year.