Britain’s high streets are changing fast, but Graham Soult, a partner in The High Street Consultancy, says there is plenty of reason for optimism.
As part of the Policy Liaison Group for Housing Delivery & Growth’s new campaign, ‘Boosting Britain’s High Streets’, Graham is highlighting practical, community-driven solutions that can help town centres thrive in the 21st century.
Boosting Britain’s high streets launch
The campaign, launched in Parliament on 15 October, was chaired by Lauren Edwards MP (Rochester & Strood) and attended by industry leaders from major companies including Legal & General, British Land, Landsec, Lime and tp bennett, alongside other MPs and policymakers.
“For too long, our high streets have been seen primarily as economic engines rather than the heart of communities,” said Lauren Edwards MP. “This campaign sends a clear message: boosting high streets is vital for inclusive growth.”
Fighting the “dying high street” narrative
Graham contributed a major essay to the campaign’s report, Evolution, Not Nostalgia: High Streets for the 21st Century, which challenges the widespread narrative that high streets are in irreversible decline.
“We improve high streets not by seeing them as something broken that needs saving, but by doing more of what we know already works,” he writes. “There is lots of inspiration from the tireless, creative and passionate people on the ground who are already driving reinvention.”
The REVAMPS framework: seven ingredients for success
Graham introduces his REVAMPS framework, outlining seven key ingredients for high street vitality:
- Relationships: strong partnerships between councils, businesses, civic groups and other stakeholders.
- Events: markets, festivals and cultural happenings to draw visitors.
- Vacancy: having a strategy for empty shops, including turning them into temporary or permanent community uses.
- Arrival: creating accessible, welcoming and enjoyable public spaces that encourage people to visit and linger.
- Mix of uses: combining retail with leisure, housing and culture for place vitality.
- Positivity: amplifying good news and local success stories.
- Support: helping independent businesses with mentoring, funding and digital tools.
“High streets can redefine themselves by offering what online shopping cannot: community, serendipity, shared experience, and a sense of belonging,” he says.
Community-driven change
Graham emphasises that renewal cannot simply be imposed from above. The success of the former High Streets Task Force, with which he worked from 2019 to 2024, shows the power of co-produced initiatives. By empowering residents, businesses, councils, civic groups and others to work together, high streets can adapt to change while maintaining local identity.
Looking forward
The Boosting Britain’s High Streets campaign encourages collaboration between local authorities, communities and private sector partners to co-create dynamic, resilient and future-ready high streets.
The full report, Evolution, Not Nostalgia: High Streets for the 21st Century, is available for download here.
