Why Hebden Bridge could hold the key to saving the UK high streets

Commissioned by independent trust Power to Change, Saving the High Street: the community takeover by the London School of Economics and Political Science, reveals how fragmented property ownership, a lack of transparency on who owns high street building, and absentee landlords with no vested interest in local places, are a barrier to creating unified high street regeneration strategies.

The report, which explores how community businesses can help revive the high street’s fortunes, also showed that where local authorities have helped facilitate community business ownership and access to both public and privately-owned buildings, as within Hebden Bridge, it has created more vibrant and resilient high streets.

The research also revealed that economically, community businesses deliver what high streets and local people need.

Vidhya Alakeson, CEO of independent trust Power to Change, said: “Whilst changing retail habits may have kick-started the decline of our high streets, it is the underlying issue of fragmented property ownership and disengaged remote landlords that in the end will choke the life from them if we don’t act now.

"Community ownership is vital to the revival of the high street. Communities not only care passionately about their local area, more importantly they understand the needs of local people and provide distinctive services that meet local needs.

"This new research shows what can be achieved in places like Hebden Bridge when local authorities get behind communities and help local people to take ownership over their high street buildings. The results are stable, sustainable and thriving town centres that are in the best possible shape to deal with any future crisis.”

In the case of Hebden Bridge, the local authority has taken significant steps to help the local community take over the ownership of several key buildings in the town and use them to provide a wide range of distinctive services.

As a result, Hebden Bridge has become a destination town in the Upper Calder Valley boosting existing businesses in the town and in turn, the local economy.

Graham Mynott, Director of Hebden Bridge Community Association (and local resident), said “The community in Hebden Bridge is very effective in working together and this applies across the public, private and community sector. We have tangible examples from our flood experiences and we know we are stronger when we work together. The latest initiative demonstrating this and that we are all supporting is the Totally Locally Shop, where business are collaborating to have a local trading website.”