Covid 19 - What you need to know - £50 million boost to support the recovery of our high streets

The Ministry of House, Communities & Local Government has announced a new £50 million fund for councils across England to prepare for the safe reopening of high streets and other retail spaces. The money comes from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) that the government is making available to councils to support businesses to re-open safely

This new money is intended to support practical measures so businesses can re-open quickly when they are allowed to, staff get back to work and customers return to shops confident it is safe.

It will also support a range of practical safety measures including new signs, street markings and temporary barriers. This will help businesses get ready for when they can begin trading safely, not only in high streets and town and city centres, but also in other public spaces like beachfronts and promenades.

Councils will also be able to use this money to develop local marketing campaigns to explain the changes to the public and reassure them that their high streets and other commercial areas are safe.

High Streets Minister Simon Clarke MP said:

“As we begin to slowly return to normality, the re-opening our high streets will be key to kick-starting our economic recovery.

Levelling up the regions and supporting our high streets has always been central to the mission of this government.

Many businesses have already introduced creative ways of trading such as contactless collection or taking orders by instant messaging and shows that they are ready for the challenges ahead.

That’s why we are providing an extra £50 million for councils to support a range of safety measures that will help get these businesses back on track and ensure that people can enjoy their time visiting their local high street safely again.”

Here is how the funds will be allocated to each local authority, Sheffield, for example, will receive £520,216.