UK to empower communities with Pride in Place to revitalize high streets

Communities will be given new powers to transform boarded-up shops and block new vape stores under a national programme to revitalise local areas. Sir Keir Starmer will launch the Pride in Place programme, which will enable local people to buy beloved assets and regenerate them.

Compulsory purchase powers will enable communities to buy derelict pubs and disused department stores and turn them into new businesses or housing. Councils will also be granted powers to block unwanted shops, including bookmakers, vape stores, and fake barbers.

Local people will also have the 'right to buy' assets to create new parks or regenerate treasured spaces. Funding will be allocated to projects which have consulted community groups, local organisations and social clubs.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government described the programme as 'unprecedented' and said more than 330 of the UK's most deprived communities are set to benefit from the 'record funding'. The Pride in Place funding will be delivered in England, Scotland and Wales, with corresponding funding provided to Northern Ireland.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed said the plan is 'what real patriotism looks like' and added that 'Yes, communities have been stretched – but they haven’t given up. They’re working hard to make things better, and we’re backing them. The Government is putting power into their hands so local people decide how best to restore pride in their neighbourhoods, not us in Westminster. That’s what real patriotism looks like: building up our communities and choosing renewal over division.'

Tomorrow, the Prime Minister is expected to attempt to 'reclaim the flag' from far-Right protesters in a speech about patriotism. Sir Keir is set to try to 'reclaim' the St George's and Union flags, saying they should be a symbol of unity rather than division. The Pride in Place funding will be delivered in England, Scotland and Wales, and corresponding funding will be provided to Northern Ireland.

Cllr Arooj Shah, of the Local Government Association, said: 'Positive extra funding and powers will help councils in these areas in revitalising high streets and shaping their communities, particularly in regulating betting and vaping shops, while also breathing new life into empty premises.'

The programme aims to tackle deep-rooted deprivation and regional inequality, according to officials, with a focus on giving communities a greater say in the future of their local spaces.