The Government would benefit from restoring pride in place
A CLEAR sign of decline in recent years has been boarded-up shops and the prevalence of fake barbers and vape stores. What were once thriving community hubs have become ghostly shells of their past.
The power of pride in towns should not be overlooked. The unrest seen on the streets over the past year can be attributed to the helplessness that a lot of communities feel.
Little has been done to arrest the alarming decline high streets have experienced in recent decades. That is why the Government deserves credit for at least trying to tackle the issue through its new Pride in Place programme.
Giving people a greater say over their local high street should be welcomed. The way things are right now is simply not acceptable. Once proud town centres have become unwelcoming places dotted with eyesores.
The transfer of powers from Whitehall is much overdue. It is hard to see how Whitehall mandarins are best placed to make decisions for the good of town centres in Yorkshire.
Allowing communities to seize assets isn’t just about preventing decay but creating opportunities for small local businesses that help add to the character of the high street.
While it’s not going to be easy for them, small businesses and community-run assets can thrive. A number of community-run pubs in the region are a testament to this.
The Prime Minister is the right person to announce this programme. One of the biggest criticisms of Sir Keir Starmer’s time at 10 Downing Street so far has been that he does not understand the electorate. The Government needs to start showing that it is tackling issues that people care about in their communities.