Burnham pledges extra £210m towards regenerating boarded-up high streets

Funds to help local people turn empty shops, pubs and clubs into community hubs, shared workspaces and cafes

The UK government has pledged £210m to regenerate high streets by taking boarded-up shops, pubs and clubs and turning them into shared workspaces, cafes and community hubs.

Andy Burnham said the funds would “help put power back into the hands of locals who know their area best” as part of his effort to “restore pride and bring hope back”.

High streets continue to struggle, despite multiple government attempts at regeneration, after a shift to online shopping and services such as banking and estate agents, as well as higher business costs including taxes, energy and labour.

The cost of living crunch has also prompted people to rein in spending on non-essentials and driven a shift to dining and drinking at home instead of spending on eating out.