High Street Conversations: The Long-Term Plan for Towns

When: 10am – 11.30am, Thursday, 2nd May 2024

Where: Virtual via Zoom. Register here.

“On the occasions over the years when governments have tried to help towns, the story has always been the same. Short-term funding pots, often put in the control of councils that are already failing, with little or no consultation with the people that really matter – local people. It’s time to invest directly in the places that need it most, not politicians that squander the most.”

Those are the words of the UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, in his statement announcing the introduction of the Long-Term Plan for Towns funding programme in late 2023. Towns across the UK will get £20 million in an endowment-style funding programme over 10 years to spend on a range of projects.

This meeting of High Street Conversations will bring together members based in towns in receipt of this funding to discuss their ideas, progress and challenges they have encountered with this programme. This discussion will welcome those leading on the use of the funding, or those affected by how the money might be used. Information gathered here will inform ATCM’s advocacy on ensuring government funding programmes for town centres are fit for purpose in our work with parliamentarians and ministers.

Register here for the event.