Investing to make town centres the destinations of choice again

The plight of town centres is damaging the viability of bus networks and limiting opportunities for households without cars. John Parmiter and Keith Mitchell of consultant Peter Brett Associates tell Andrew Forster how they can once again become vibrant places

Andrew Forster

22 August 2014

John Parmiter (left) and Keith Mitchell

Most town centres will have to diversify their offering beyond shops

Take a walk along any one of hundreds of UK high streets and the vacant units, multitude of charity shops and row of bookmakers tell their own story. Town centres are in trouble. It’s a depressing economic picture and one with serious transport implications too. Households without a car find their choice of shops and services restricted, bus networks become less viable, and walking and cycling activity levels fall.

Politicians have responded to the plight of town centres with task forces...