Written evidence submitted by High Street Story

High Street Story is a non-profit, campaigning organisation which was established to unite the skills and knowledge-base of the heritage sector with the needs, and unmet potential, of historic and emblematic high street businesses to communicate their history.  Historic and emblematic businesses are those which have been trading on our high streets for around 100 years or more, serving their communities in substantially the same way, in the same building, often hold substantial heritage assets in the form of historic buildings, as well as archives, artefacts and, critically, Intangible Cultural Heritage, which contribute to their community’s sense of identity, pride in place and economic vitality.

In responding to this Call For Evidence the answers given solely relate to high street retail premises occupied by historic and emblematic retail businesses.

1. What are the most significant challenges facing owners and operators of built heritage assets, and how are they affecting what those sites can offer?

The difficulties faced by high street retailers everywhere, such as the burden of business rates, increased NI contributions, cost of living, are well documented.    However, for historic businesses founded generations ago, occupying historic buildings there are additional challenges. The increasingly rapid rate of change in the last decade, combined with issues an aging work force, limited options for succession, and slow adoption of technology and social media, means that more and more of them are disappearing from our high streets.   

Yet such businesses are frequently in possession of heritage assets that have significant intrinsic value as cultural heritage, but also as branding and marketing tools.  Retail trends show an emerging appreciation, especially among younger generations, for authenticity, conscious consumerism, and retail with a story. A report published by the US based History Factory in 2024, titled ‘The Heritage Gap’ identified that brands are not satisfying consumer demand for heritage, or stories of brand origins. The Report identified that millennials are especially interested in historical content and want to see social media posts about history and milestones, and that authenticity is a major motivator for consumers  

However, with the exception of a minority of historic businesses, such as those in premium locations trading luxury goods (e.g. Lock & Co Hatters, Paxton & Whitfield, Floris, all in London), national brands, or record breakers (e.g. Balson, Bridport, or Robert Reavley Chemists, Burford)  many historic and emblematic high street businesses have limited appreciation of the potential value of their heritage assets as an important competitive advantage.  Even where the potential is understood, they may not have the skills, time or funding to invest in new heritage initiatives to take advantage of these marketing trends. If social media is  unfamiliar and is difficult to access, then without intervention nothing will change. They are therefore missing a golden opportunity to engage with potential customers, increase brand awareness, footfall and growth. 

With operators of historic businesses older than average, and now coming up to retirement, we are at a watershed moment with a multitude of closures anticipated in the next few years, with the direct consequence that the heritage within them will be lost forever.  Archives will be scattered, stories forgotten, buildings left vacant (or with luck, repurposed), and the loss of the business itself will leave a gaping hole in the high street and the identity of its community. 

To conclude on this point, challenges specific to owners and operators of historic retail businesses in occupation of built heritage assets include:

-          legacy issues arising from the longevity of the business.

-          lack of awareness within the business of the value of the heritage assets they hold.

-          Lack of access to the knowledge and expertise developed and held within the Heritage Sector.

• What interventions are needed to prevent the managed decline of heritage assets on publicly-owned land?

No answer given.

• What can the Government do to make it easier for communities or local businesses to take ownership of historic buildings?

Supporting continued use of historic retail premises by their original occupier is the surest way to securing a viable future for the building itself, while simultaneously safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

Both building and business give meaning to each other, and their mutual preservation strengthens them in combination.  The UK, having just last year ratified the  2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and with our high streets undergoing something of a transformation, as acknowledged in the House of Lords Report, ‘Life Beyond Retail’, threats to heritage assets held by and represented in our Edwardian and Victorian (and older) origin high street businesses, including the buildings they occupy, need to be fully explored and met. 

Community organisations and local businesses should certainly be encouraged and empowered to acquire a historic business (as well as the building) where this is for sale, and to continue or adapt that legacy, according to the evolution of local needs, or alternatively, to communicate the story of the building in situ.

Legislation governing Assets of Community Value is unlikely to be relevant here because, in a high street context, there are numerous other assets (shop buildings) that would serve ‘the relevant purposes.’ 

2. How effective are the current funding and finance models for built heritage?

Public funding models are not generally relevant to historic high street businesses, which are after all, for-profit organisations with any public benefits being subordinate or incidental. 

We have no data on whether historic businesses have benefitted from public funding, or schemes including High Street Heritage Action Zones.   

• What should long-term public funding for the sector look like?

It is intended that historic high street businesses should themselves be in a position to fund heritage activities that support their business – if that is what they choose to do. However improved access to training, and collaboration with others where there is mutual benefit, whether in the context of regeneration or community or other projects, will make this more realistic and affordable.  For instance, engaging with local history or conservation societies, benefiting from support from volunteers and community interest groups, or working with Heritage Trusts in tandem with community engagement objectives would see wider benefits to all. Heritage Open Days, Heritage Walks, open archives sessions and other initiatives, once initiated, can also support interest in this area. 

Public archives are under no obligation to collaborate with historic high street businesses to support them in interpreting their archive, even if they hold the records of that business. Commercial interpretative services are offerings are limited and often unaffordable for small businesses, so they  are dependent on their own or voluntary efforts to communicate their history. 

To conclude, since these heritage assets have substantial value when explored and used effectively, it is anticipated that once public funding has been invested to address the following, no further public spending would be required: 

a)       Research into the number of businesses that survive to date, such that they qualify as historic high street businesses, where they are located and how distributed, and their current and potential contribution to wellbeing and the economy. 

b)       Developing initiatives to raise the profile of historic and emblematic businesses both nationally and within their communities.

c)       The type and range of training and tools such businesses might require, or how they might access advice and expertise on issues such as archiving, digitisation, copyright and licensing (including to produce new income streams), project management, and history marketing.  Recognition needs to be given to the fact that such businesses perform a dual role, in that although they are titular for-profit enterprises, they also perform a cultural function.  As such they do not qualify for membership of organisations that provide discounted training or access to professional networks: e.g. the Association for Cultural Enterprises or Heritage Trust Network.

d)       Developing policies or guidance that promote collaborations with heritage organisations, e.g. Local Heritage Trusts, Local History Societies, Heritage Open Days etc etc.

e)       Developing policies and recording case studies where local business history has successfully informed place-making.  Input from place-managers, Business Improvement Districts etc. should be sought.

Various public funds, such as the Everyday Heritage Grants and Heritage Lottery Funding could be called on to achieve the above objectives.

3. What role does built heritage play in the regeneration of local areas and in contributing to economic growth and community identity?

Historic high street businesses play a significant role in the identity of a community.  They will have seen enormous changes in society and technology and their survival to date testifies to their adaptability.  As such they have a story to tell, that bears witness to those changes.  The local community will have deep-seated generational connections, either through shopping there, sometimes with seasonal, or even ritual regularity, and through employment.  Families will have depended on them for their service and trade, for their livelihoods, and over time, for traditions, and in part, for their communal identity and sense of place. 

With the exception of the premium/luxury/heritage brands operating in London and which have successfully explored their heritage for branding purposes, the majority of historic high street businesses are likely to be dispersed in all parts of the country, including rural or deprived areas, small towns and villages, where the rate of change may be slower or where there is less demand for premises.  In these smaller towns the contribution of such shops has a disproportionately greater effect on the health and identity of the high street. And when they close, the losses felt are particularly devastating. 

Encouragement is taken from the House of Lords Report, ‘High Streets: Life Beyond Retail?’ which at paragraph 5 of the Summary of Conclusions and Recommendations states that ‘Celebrating the local history of a place and conserving or repurposing historic buildings on the high street wherever possible celebrates the character and heritage of a high street, encourages a greater sense of pride in place and could draw more people in and potentially increase footfall (paragraph 38)’.  Since emblematic and historic businesses are custodians of local history, how to reference this heritage in regeneration and place-making needs to be considered, with any perceived tensions arising from the prospect of working with an extant commercial enterprise, such as unfair advantage, explicitly addressed.  Indeed, such tensions may explain the following case study, where a business’s heritage was celebrated by the local museum, but only after it had closed.

Case Study:

The Ludlow Town Museum mounted an exhibition in September 2024 honouring the recently closed Rickards Hardware shop, which closed after 160 years of trading. Reported in the Ludlow Advertiser on 21 September, the Mayor commented, “This is a great opportunity to glimpse into the past and appreciate the role that Rickards played in shaping our town's identity."

Admirable though this project is, particularly as the recognition of Rickard’s Intangible Cultural Heritage is to be celebrated, it came far too late to actually raise the profile of, and potentially save the business where the owners, then retiring, were keen to sell it, with heritage assets such as artefacts and archives, as a going concern.

Pride in place

By supporting historic businesses to explore and communicate their heritage, this presents an opportunity to engage otherwise hard to reach communities in heritage in general. Those who would not ordinarily visit heritage sites or visitor attractions can find heritage in the shops they visit on their local high street.  Historic businesses can offer an important first encounter with history, that has relevance to its community.   At Key Stage 2 children cover a local history, with scope for engagement via these shops as tangible links to the past.  Overall, this this has significant consequences for encouraging investment in the community. 

• How can heritage buildings be supported to increase energy efficiency and contribute to the Government’s net zero targets?

Where existing historic businesses find that there is wider government and community support for their business there may be greater incentives to invest in preserving their building, as part of that branding and in doing so, take advantage of funds and incentives already available to contribute to Net Zero.

4. What are the financial, regulatory and practical barriers to preserving built heritage?

When businesses close the risks to these newly vacant premises rises significantly, because of neglect, change of use, or re-purposing.  Many historic business premises are not listed, precisely because of the continuity of use, and adaptations over time. This has no bearing on the value and meaning of those buildings to community, but, when left vacant, they are more vulnerable to alterations.  It is all the more important that the original historic business with which the building is as associated remains in situ, and thriving. 

Financial:

• Other financial priorities: increased financial demands from business rates, increased NI contributions and rising prices. Against these, investment in history marketing or on heritage in general, are likely perceived as new, risky and without clear return. 
• Limited access to public funding. As with the Rickards example above, celebrating a business after it has closed negates this difficulty.   Developing clearer guidance, or publicising examples where this tension has been successfully navigated may bring about more successful initiatives while businesses are still trading, so that heritage value and wider growth is maximised. E.g. educational events, open days, digitisation and public access to archives.
• Clear policies or initiatives that recognise the heritage value of such businesses as a body or individually, may help improve access, by opening up dialogue with other partners and collaborations with community and other groups that would qualify for public funding. E.g, academic research projects referencing business archives, or community memory projects.
• Legacy issues: being long-lived, historic and emblematic businesses will often have legacy issues that are costly to resolve, e.g. neglected premises, outdated ways of working etc. 
• Regulatory:
• The listed building regime is targeted at preserving the built environment. It has no bearing on the occupants of the building, even if the listing criteria applied acknowledges the historic association with a particular business. Restrictions on unauthorised works following  listing may be in direct conflict with business interests.
• There is currently no policy on the safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage and how it interfaces with ‘historic interest’ under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
• Local Heritage Lists are not commonly used, and where they are, the lists are again targeted at the built environment. Inclusion on the list may arguably highlight local cultural value of a particular building, and go some small way to wider local recognition of heritage, but awareness is still likely to be limited. 
• Practical:
• Succession issues: current owners coming up to retirement may find that there is no market for their business.  The next generation of the family may not be interested or able to, for any number of reasons.  Without buyers from outside of the family, or financial future being in doubt, such businesses are commonly forced to close the business entirely.  By recognising the cultural significance of these businesses within the community, and engaging in history marketing this may broaden the appeal for new buyers to come forward, or for community groups to purchase the business. 
• Lack of time: employees and staff are engaged in day to day running of the business, and do not have time to engage in heritage-related activities. 
• Lack of access to the heritage sector, or heritage adjacent professionals, including creative and design industry.
• The Heritage Sector and Creative Industries have not sought out opportunities to work with this potential new market of historic and emblematic businesses. This is perhaps a natural consequence of this potential market not appreciating the value of investment here. In not advertising or showcasing their offer, or adapting their skills and services to small historic businesses, the potential for cross-sector growth and resilience is being missed.  Raising awareness of the value of this sector should help.

• What policy changes are needed to make restoring historic buildings easier and less expensive?

Improved access to advice and expertise. 

5. What policies would ensure the UK workforce has the right skills to maintain our heritage assets?

Much greater use could be made of the expertise within our world-leading heritage sector, to help our ailing historic retail sector.  Having once been known as a ‘Nation of Shop-Keepers’, a re-interpreting the heritage held by these authentic, living, custodians – these long-established businesses which trade today - will bring countless social and economic benefits.

Key to this is to build collaboration between a) the heritage, cultural and visitor attraction sectors and b) the independent retail sector, to develop an online tool kit, with training and access to expert directories for owners of historic and emblematic high street business.  Heritage activities are well beyond the bounds of ‘normal’ retail activity, and yet that is what these businesses should be supported and empowered to deliver, where the will to do so is there.

Currently, historic and emblematic businesses do not qualify for membership of, and are therefore not able to access the toolkits or training available to heritage and cultural organisations, including those provided by, for example:

a)       The Association for Cultural Enterprises, e.g.  copyright and licencing of images and cultural and heritage assets, for branding, merchandising and product design.

b)       The Heritage Trust Network, which has an online toolkit for heritage trusts, and community and non-profit organisations in the heritage sector, for carrying out projects, and for accessing related services, training and case studies.

Whether there is scope for discounted or associated membership, or for licensing material, should be explored. 

It must be recognised that historic and emblematic businesses perform a more complex and multi-faceted role, and although originally established as profit-making commercial enterprises, many are now valued by their communities for performing an important cultural function. 

Appendix – About High Street Story

At High Street Story it is our mission to:

a)       Raise awareness of the important heritage and community value of historic and emblematic high street retail businesses and their potential to contribute to thriving, diverse high streets.    We believe that wider publicity and recognition of long service to their community will further empower business owners to continue to invest in this legacy.

b)       Establish a tool-kit, provide relevant training and expert directories for owners of historic and emblematic high street businesses that build on expertise held within our world-leading heritage sector, recognising that such skills are necessary to market their history, take advantage of social and technological changes, and meet the challenges of a competitive retail environment on their own terms.

c)       Promote historic and emblematic retail businesses as an important first portal to heritage and culture. For many people who may have little engagement with heritage, the high street has as yet untapped potential to make history relevant, accessible and inclusive.

d)       Highlight the link between the continued survival of historic and emblematic high street businesses and the historic built environment, due to the connected, accumulated significance of occupier and building – its intangible cultural heritage.  In addition, where the original use continues, this avoids the risks arising from adaptation for alternative uses, or vacancy.

e)       Campaign for meaningful research to identify historic and emblematic high street businesses, in terms of their character, location and distribution, evaluate their potential contribution to wellbeing, and the economy, as a separate category of heritage/retail activity, and the value of and risks to the heritage they hold.  We seek to understand the challenges and threats specific to this shrinking sector, identify solutions and promote preservation of artefacts, archives and intangible heritage, whether or not those businesses continue to trade.

f)        Convene experts in their field to support our objectives and build collaboration, and work alongside independent retail. As well as hearing from business owners themselves, academic historians, archivists, local history groups, built environment experts, National Amenity Societies, place management specialists, community and civic groups and BIDs can all offer meaningful contributions to this discussion. 

At High Street Story we combine expertise in regulation governing the historic built environment, gained from over a decade’s experience working in planning law, acting for developers and cultural institutions, with recognition of the stories that connect our businesses and buildings, born of our work in archiving, business history and anthropology.  Our founder was raised with an appreciation of the issues and challenges facing independent retail, her own family’s business now approaching its 200th anniversary.   She understands the additional responsibilities and opportunities for curating and promoting heritage assets, and of stewardship, so that both retail heritage and commercial viability are preserved for future generations.