Councils in England are being invited to bid for a share of a new £675m government fund to transform their high streets.

The fund is intended help high streets “keep up with changing consumer behaviour so that they can remain at the heart of local communities”.

It will “invest in town centre infrastructure, including to increase access to high streets and support redevelopment and densification around high streets … restoring historic high streets to boost retail and bring properties back into use as homes, offices and cultural venues”.

Chair of the Town Centres Expert Panel, Sir John Timpson who recommended the creation of the fund said: “By helping our towns create their own individual community hub, I believe we will have vibrant town centres to provide a much-needed place for face to face contact in the digital age.”

Stage 1 EOIs are due in Spring 2019 with Stage 2 business cases required in Summer 2019. The prospectus will be launched by MHCLG shortly.

Further information can be found on www.gov.uk