Vape Shops Will Need Planning Permission In Push To Revive High Streets
Britain's high streets have faced increasing pressures in recent years (Alamy)
3 min read
Vape shops will need to secure planning permission before opening in reforms that Andy Burnham has said will help reverse “decades of decline” on Britain’s high streets.
The government announced on Monday night that it will also tighten the definition of a vape shop to prevent owners from getting around current rules by describing themselves as a general convenience shop or retailer.
There will also be new measures targeting large betting shops and what ministers describe as rogue businesses, with the PM saying that previous governments “stood by” while high streets suffered.
"Local councils will be given the powers they need to rein in unwanted shops and bring town centres back to life,” the Prime Minister said.
The government highlighted research by the Centre for Social Justice think tank showing that the number of vape and tobacco shops has risen by more than 2,000 nationwide since 2016, while the number of pubs and bars has diminished by nearly 1,800.
High streets have come under intense pressure in recent years with rising costs and customers switching to online shopping. Research shared with PoliticsHome last year found that support for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK had been rising most in areas that had seen the most acute high street decline.
The government has announced that it will revoke the Gambling Act's "Aim to Permit" rule, which currently restricts the ability of councils to refuse new betting shops and 24-hour slot machine shops even where there are strong local concerns.
Ministers will also work with councils to improve the appearance of high streets and help restore pride in local town centres, pointing to "poor-quality shopfronts, garish neon signs, and oversized logos", which have prompted complaints from local people and contributed to high streets feeling less welcoming.
In addition, there are plans to double the maximum length of closure orders from six months to a year – under which a business or premises can be closed while it is investigated – to allow police and local authorities more time to look into premises linked to organised crime, pursue prosecutions, and prevent rogue businesses reopening before investigations are complete.
The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner, said: “These problems have built up over years, but this government won't leave councils and communities powerless to crack down on everyday eyesores that blight our high streets.
"That's why we're giving local leaders the power to say no to what doesn't belong on their high street, and the tools to fix it themselves.”
Burnham added: “For many people, the high streets they grew up with have been hollowed out and become unrecognisable over decades of decline. The rise of vape shops, betting shops and rogue operators have replaced the shops, services, and community spaces that people are crying out for.
“That’s not on. I said we would improve Britain’s high streets, and that’s exactly what we are starting to do. We're putting communities back in control and giving local people a real say over what opens on their high street. Local councils will be given the powers they need to rein in unwanted shops and bring town centres back to life.”
