Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

High Street Heritage and Conservation Areas — [Yvonne Fovargue in the Chair]

13 September 2023 · 9 other contributors · 13,832 words

Opened by Jack Brereton Con Stoke-on-Trent South

Responding minister: Rachel Maclean

Culture, Media & Sport

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Jack Brereton raised concerns about high street heritage and conservation areas — [yvonne fovargue in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Mr Brereton is concerned about the preservation of historic bottle ovens in Stoke-on-Trent, crucial to the city's ceramic heritage.
  • He highlights the shortage of skilled officers and experts for heritage conservation, noting challenges without character appraisals.
  • Mr Brereton mentions poor enforcement during the pandemic, leading to deterioration of some conservation areas.

Key requests to Government

Mr. Brereton asks for more investment from Historic England specifically for Longton's local heritage, additional time to address projects delayed due to the pandemic and inflationary pressures, better resources and skills related to enforcement actions, and relaxation of planning rules to facilitate change of use in historic buildings.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Jack Brereton Con Stoke-on-Trent South

Mr. Brereton is concerned about the preservation of historic bottle ovens in Stoke-on-Trent, which are crucial to the city's identity as the world capital of ceramics. He highlights the shortage of skilled officers and experts needed for heritage conservation, noting that without character appraisals, it becomes challenging to conserve areas meaningfully. Mr. Brereton also mentions the poor state of some current conservation areas and the lack of enforcement action during the pandemic, leading to further deterioration. The MP cites specific examples such as buildings falling into disrepair in Longton and properties on the heritage at-risk register, emphasizing the need for proactive measures like section 215 notices.

Other contributors (9)
  • Alexander Stafford Lab Rother Valley

    He agreed with his hon. Friend's point about councils lacking plans to move forward, citing Rother Valley as an example where some high streets lack detailed outline plans for bidding funds under levelling-up initiatives.

  • Ben Everitt Con Bedford

    Heritage is vital for community identity, especially in Stoke-on-Trent where the ceramics industry holds significant heritage value. The pandemic slowed progress, but levelling-up initiatives offer opportunities to regenerate high streets and convert empty properties into homes, supported by funds like the shared prosperity fund.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Praised the heritage of Newtownards, highlighting its rich history and thriving high street. Noted that despite challenges with empty properties in conservation areas, efforts are being made to revitalise them. Acknowledged the importance of local councils and chambers of trade in preserving cultural heritage.

  • Jo Gideon Lab Stoke-on-Trent North

    Jo Gideon highlighted the importance of conservation areas in preserving historic and architectural significance, expressing concern over empty properties that threaten the essence of towns and cities. She emphasized the need to encourage growth in these areas, making heritage assets more productive and attractive to residents, businesses, tourists, and investors.

  • Jonathan Gullis Lab Stoke-on-Trent North

    High streets and heritage are important to Stoke-on-Trent, especially in towns like Burslem and Tunstall. The area has seen significant investment, such as £3.5 million for the Tunstall Library and Baths renovation. However, there are ongoing challenges with rogue landlords neglecting properties and causing disrepair. Gullis introduced a private Member's Bill to increase fines for property neglect and supported efforts to restore historical buildings like Chatterley Whitfield colliery and the Burslem indoor market.

  • Marco Longhi Con Bermondsey and Old Southwark

    This intervention highlighted the voluntary nature of local council registers for heritage buildings and proposed making it compulsory for councils to maintain such registers, reviewing them annually or biannually. Briefly reminded other speakers not to forget about the Black Country's contributions to the discussion. He highlighted the vulnerability of heritage buildings to arson attacks and proposed that temporary listing protection should be introduced for England, similar to Wales' system. He also suggested increasing penalties for incidents involving arson and misuse of property.

  • Sarah Owen Lab Luton North

    Ms Owen highlighted the economic and social impact of retail closures, citing Wilko's plight with 12,500 jobs at risk. She emphasized the need for a coherent industrial strategy to prevent further job losses in manufacturing towns like Luton. Owen also discussed the detrimental effects of empty properties on local businesses and communities, referencing studies by the Federation of Small Businesses and the Association of Convenience Stores. She proposed reintroducing respect orders to tackle antisocial behaviour and praised councils such as Sheffield and Telford for their successful high street regeneration efforts.

  • Theo Clarke Con Stafford

    He congratulated his hon. Friend on securing this debate, stating that Stafford faces similar challenges with heritage buildings and campaigned for the reopening of Shire Hall, which was given £1.6 million by the Government.

  • Yvonne Fovargue Lab Makerfield

    Ms. Fovargue thanked Mr. Brereton for his work and highlighted the challenges faced by Stafford in its conservation areas, including absentee landlords and buildings falling into disrepair.

Government Response

Rachel Maclean

The Minister praised the efforts to protect and rejuvenate high streets, highlighting initiatives such as high street rental auctions, funding for derelict properties, and the Office for Place. She mentioned £2 million made available by the antisocial behaviour action plan to support communities in bringing derelict properties back into use. The Government is investing tens of millions through the future high streets fund, with an additional £930,000 investment this year to support existing high street heritage action zone projects. She also discussed the importance of local planning authorities reviewing past designations and using section 215 powers effectively.

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