Britain’s high streets have a new body to champion its “most pressing issues”. Succinctly called High Streets UK (HSUK) and representing over 5,000 businesses across the country, it’s been formed to “unlock fresh opportunities” for the nation’s high streets.

The core objective is to “address common challenges facing flagship high streets, including business rates, public safety and planning”.

The group, which is coordinated by the long-established New West End Company (NWEC), the business improvement district for London’s West End, brings in business representatives from “flagship cities” including London, Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, Leeds, Cardiff, Newcastle and Edinburgh.

Collectively, the high streets so far involved contribute £34.7 billion in GVA each year and welcome over 473 million visitors annually – “acting as key drivers of growth and important economic anchors for local communities”.

Through quarterly summits, the group aims to “elevate shared priorities to a national conversation, while sharing learnings, ideas, and solutions to ensure high streets across the nation can thrive for years to come”.

Topics highlighted also range the rise of retail crime and anti-social behaviour to an unwieldy business rates system and rigid planning laws.

The group said its core objective is to develop programmes and policy recommendations which will enable flagship UK high streets “to drive local and national growth, aligning with the Government’s focus on creating a productive and sustainable economy”.

Dee Corsi, chair of HSUK and CEO of NWEC, said: “We know that thriving, flagship high streets can be powerful drivers of economic growth and employment, with the positive halo effects felt across the country. And, with the right policy environment, these destinations can contribute much more than just economic growth; they can be places where communities congregate, business flourish, and international investment flows.”

She added: “I look forward to working with colleagues across the country to develop new ideas and solutions that will secure the future success of our nation’s flagship high streets and the economic, social, and cultural impact they have.”