High Streets UK has established itself as an authoritative voice, bringing together national flagship destinations to offer practical, evidence-led solutions rooted in the real experiences of businesses and communities.
Our members — business representatives from nine flagship destinations across the country — came together through High Streets UK with a shared ambition: to tackle the most pressing issues facing UK high streets and unlock both local and national growth.
From London’s Oxford Street to Edinburgh’s Princes Street, flagship destinations are anchors of local communities and drivers of local economies. They are places where visitors and residents connect, while supporting thousands of jobs across some of the nation’s most iconic retail, leisure and hospitality operators.
Over the past 12 months, we have strengthened relationships with key political figures, lobbying on challenges of national importance. Our initial focus has been on the most critical barriers to growth — from an unwieldy business rates system, to the need for a comprehensive national tourism strategy, and concerns around high street crime.
These issues have been explored in depth at our dedicated quarterly forums — a cornerstone of High Streets UK’s activity. More than just meetings, each regional summit provides an opportunity to engage meaningfully with stakeholders and deliver tangible outcomes. Highlights to date include:
- An impact assessment of proposed business rates reform on flagship destinations, which contributed to minimal impact on retailers following announcements at the Autumn Budget 2025.
- A four-point set of recommendations to promote safer high streets, developed with input from London’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Kaya Comer-Schwartz.
- A nationwide survey assessing domestic perceptions of the overnight visitor levy, with findings shared with Government as part of a public consultation response.
In September 2025, we convened industry peers, business leaders and political stakeholders at a drinks reception during the Labour Party Conference. The event showcased our key achievements and policy asks to decision-makers in Government, and featured a keynote speech from Sarah Jones, Minister for Policing and Crime, who is leading vital work to ensure our high streets are safe and welcoming places to work, shop and invest.
Alongside this, we have kept the issues affecting flagship high streets firmly on the national agenda through sustained engagement with local, sector and national media — reaching a potential audience of 370 million readers.
We are proud of what we have achieved so far and grateful for the continued support of our members. In 2026, our ambition is to be bolder and more impactful, confident that the catalyst for national growth lies in the nation’s flagship high streets.
