In the last 5 years town centres have endured the perfect storm: the challenges of e-commence, the stop/start of Covid and now the cost-of-living crisis. The rise of the footloose shopper, with little brand loyalty and an omnichannel approach to shopping habits require developers and policy makers to reappraise the role of town centres. No longer simply providing retail as their raison d’etre for survival, town centres need to repurpose.
What does the future of the town centre look like … does it have a future?
This session will look at:
- The challenges facing the high street
- Existing policy reform introduced through Permitted Development and the NPPF to prioritise repurposing
- The success of initiatives so far
- Future potential strategies
- Case studies showing successful repurposing
- How this is likely to impact the development industry
Ian Anderson, Senior Director, Lichfields

