Town Centres: Planning for the Future

Town Centres are a vital hub for local people and the shops, services and other facilities that meet their needs. They are facing significant challenges, including the continued growth of internet shopping, competition from out-of-centre retail and leisure destinations and wider economic conditions.

Although these challenges will not go away, there are a range of ways in which town centres can better equip themselves to ensure their future role. Along with the NEECC, Lichfields has looked at a number of towns in the north-east of England, as well as wider trends and initiatives, in order to establish examples of best practice. Based on this research, our report sets out a range of recommendations, to help secure the future of our centres.