Report

Recovery and renewal on the Kent high street

This report from UK think tank Localis looks at a sustained post-Covid local economic recovery and the need for high streets to be able thrive and grow.

There is perhaps no better barometer of local economic health than the local high street. Rightly or wrongly, nothing gives such an immediate impression of a place. And the recent pandemic has highlighted the importance of having a good local high street or town centre as we have rediscovered the pleasure – and sometimes the necessity – of being able to shop locally. Through the pandemic, with the support of a range of Government grants and initiatives, local councils have been instrumental in keeping many businesses afloat as we sail towards better times. This report is prompted by the urgency of a sustained post-Covid local economic recovery and, within this, the need for high streets across the country to be able thrive and grow. A vibrant high street or town centre is central to local growth and a sense of place – Recovery and Renewal on the Kent High Street, our first Localis policy toolkit offers an array of ideas and options showing how by working together nationally and locally we may achieve this.