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Small Business Strategy Inquiry 2025 - ACT and Bira call for members to share their voice

20 Jun 2025

The House of Commons Business and Trade Committee has asked the ACT, and its parent company Bira, to help them reach out to small business retailers across the country, for their quick input on... Read more…

Beyond the discount: Restoring integrity to the cycle supply chain

18 Jun 2025

The Association of Cycle Traders believes the time has come for greater accountability throughout our supply chain, writes ACT Director Jonathan Harrison in an article published for BikeBiz.
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Bira welcomes Wales' business rates proposals but calls for key improvements

11 Jun 2025

Bira has welcomed the Welsh Government's consultation on business rate reforms for retail shops, whilst calling for significant improvements to ensure the proposals truly support high street... Read more…

New awards launch to champion Britain's independent high street heroes

9 Jun 2025

Retailers on Britain's high streets are being encouraged to put themselves forward for the first-ever Love Your High Street Awards, designed to celebrate the small businesses that bring... Read more…

"Tectonic shift" in employment law threatens independent retailer viability, warns Bira podcast

6 Jun 2025

Independent retailers are facing a "generational" transformation of employment law that could fundamentally change how small businesses operate, according to the final episode of Bira's first... Read more…

Retailers hope warm weather and bank holidays will boost high street sales

16 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has said that members are hopeful the warm weather, Easter weekend and upcoming bank holidays will provide a much-needed boost to high street sales.
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Economic growth surges to 0.7%, but "April reality check" looms for high street retailers

15 May 2025

UK economy delivers strongest quarterly performance in a year despite forecasts of business downturn.
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Communities come together for Local Bike Shop Day 2025 celebrations

13 May 2025

Local Bike Shop Day 2025 brought a wave of... Read more…

ACT parent company Bira welcomes Bank of England's latest interest rate cut

8 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has welcomed the Bank of England's decision to reduce interest rates from 4.5% to 4.25%, calling it a "much-needed boost" for the retail sector, including for cycling... Read more…

ACT parent company Bira responds to Beales' "Rachel Reeves Closing Down Sale" as iconic store makes final protest

8 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has responded to the news that the 144-year-old Beales department store is staging a "Rachel Reeves Closing Down Sale" in its final weeks of trading, with giant yellow... Read more…

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Inquiry launched examining how high streets can survive the economic and social effects of Covid-19

Posted on in Business News, Cycles News, Political News

The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has announced a new inquiry to examine how high streets can survive the economic and social consequences of Covid-19.

In their report published last year, the Committee highlighted the challenges facing high streets and town centres due to strong competition from online competitors, an unfair taxation regime and the fragmented ownership of commercial properties. The Covid-19 pandemic has placed a further burden on shops and businesses, with non-essential businesses having to close, and others having to adapt to continue operating during lockdown. As the country emerges from lockdown, businesses face the challenge of providing services in a manner that will ensure the health of customers and staff is not endangered, while at the same time being able to operate at a profit or simply break even.

The inquiry will examine the long-term consequences of the Covid-19 outbreak on the future of the high street. It is interested in how government, at all levels, can mitigate the economic and social impact and develop policies to ensure high streets remain the centre of local communities. The Committee will look at the impact of existing measures to support the high street, including the business rate holiday, as well as the broader role of taxation in enabling high street businesses to remain viable.

Share your views

This inquiry is currently accepting evidence.

The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee welcome submissions from anyone with answers to the questions in the call for evidence.

The Committee invites evidence on the following issues:

The likely long-term consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak on the future of the high street;
How councils, central government, and other stakeholders are and can help mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the high street and town centres;
Assess the Government's previous and current measures to bolster the high street; including the effect of the business rate holiday during the COVID-19 outbreak and the impact of its ending;
The progress made on implementing the recommendations of the previous committee's report of February 2019.

To find out more and submit evidence visit the UK Parliament website here.

You can submit evidence until Monday 14 September 2020. 

 

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