Burnham pledges extra £210m towards regenerating boarded-up high streets
News Source
•Fri, 25 Sep 2026 18:00:13 GMT
📰 What Happened
The UK government has promised an extra £210m to fix up struggling high streets. The money will turn boarded-up shops, pubs and clubs into shared workspaces, cafes and community hubs. Andy Burnham said the funds will 'help put power back into the hands of locals who know their area best'.
The cash is split three ways. A £125m fund will help councils revamp empty shopping centres, old cinemas and other abandoned buildings. Another £65m will help communities save local pubs, clubs and shops at risk of closing. The last £20m goes to co-operative ownership and filling shops left empty for a year or more.
🔍 The Backstory
Many UK high streets have been fading for years. People now shop and bank online, and costs like tax, energy and wages have gone up. The cost of living has also made families spend less on treats like eating out.
Governments have tried to fix this before. The new money comes on top of an existing £5.8bn 'pride in place' programme. It gives 284 poorer communities up to £2m a year for ten years. Research by the University of Southampton found people feel high streets have declined more than any other part of their area.
🎯 Why It Matters
Empty high streets mean fewer local jobs and fewer places to meet. This money aims to bring life back to town centres people use every day.
The UK government has promised an extra £210m to fix up struggling high streets. The money will turn boarded-up shops, pubs and clubs into shared workspaces, cafes and community hubs. Andy Burnham said the funds will 'help put power back into the hands of locals who know their area best'.
The cash is split three ways. A £125m fund will help councils revamp empty shopping centres, old cinemas and other abandoned buildings. Another £65m will help communities save local pubs, clubs and shops at risk of closing. The last £20m goes to co-operative ownership and filling shops left empty for a year or more.
Many UK high streets have been fading for years. People now shop and bank online, and costs like tax, energy and wages have gone up. The cost of living has also made families spend less on treats like eating out.
Governments have tried to fix this before. The new money comes on top of an existing £5.8bn 'pride in place' programme. It gives 284 poorer communities up to £2m a year for ten years. Research by the University of Southampton found people feel high streets have declined more than any other part of their area.
Empty high streets mean fewer local jobs and fewer places to meet. This money aims to bring life back to town centres people use every day.