Your Voice, Your Vote: Make my high street nice again
A bustling Gateshead High Street pictured in August 1998
- Published
In the run-up to the general election, the BBC is looking at the issues that matter the most to you, as part of Your Voice, Your Vote.
More than 200 people have already got in touch across the North East and Cumbria.
One issue that matters to Darren and Karen Bloomfield, from Gateshead, is the state of their local high street.
Karen and Darren Bloomfield have called on parties to improve the high street
Mr Bloomfield, 59, has fond memories of his childhood in the town, which would be spent at Littlewoods cafe with his mam, full of "coffee, cake and chat".
"Now you don’t see that because there's no place for them to go really," he said.
He wants to see improvements and investment in the high street and to make it "attractive again".
It was a busy time for shoppers in December 1988
"My ideal would be for it to look nice mainly, for you to go into the shops and have nice things – independent shops, instead of second-hand shops, vape shops and takeaways," he said.
"Have local independent businesses and create some green spaces for people to sit out and have a bit chat."
His wife, 62, agrees and called for spaces "where people want to be".
"It’s just a route into Newcastle, so what I would like is some investment to make it back into a high street."
Gateshead High Street pictured in 2023
Most retailers are based in and around Trinity Square, which backs onto Gateshead High Street, and houses a Tesco and cinema.
Labour-led Gateshead Council also has "ambitious plans" to regenerate High Street South, although it said they have been delayed by the pandemic.
The council has previously said "many millions" had been invested into the area.
In July 2023, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) reported that Britain lost 6,000 retail outlets over the past five years, with the North East having the highest rate of empty storefronts.
If you’ve got an issue you would like us to explore, contact Your Voice, Your Vote
How the parties plan to tackle the issue:
In their manifesto, the Conservatives say they want to change planning laws to support places to bring back local market days and regenerate defunct shopping centres. It also pledged a business rates support package worth £4.3bn over the next five years to support small businesses and the high street
Labour says it will revamp empty shops, pubs and community spaces through "right to buy" community assets to stop empty premises. Its five point plan includes replacing business rates with a system of business property taxation
The Liberal Democrats say they will abolish business rates, and instead make landlords pay a levy on their buildings "to help our high streets"
The Green Party says it will reform VAT so local SMEs pay less, and give local authorities £2bn per year to provide grants to help businesses decarbonise
Reform says its plans include abolishing business rates for high street-based small and medium-sized firms and offsetting it with an online delivery tax at 4% for large, multi-national enterprises
A full list of candidates standing in Gateshead Central and Whickham, as well as every seat across the UK, can be seen here.
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