<p>Thriving High-street Businesses</p>

Part of 1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure – in the Senedd at 1:33 pm on 17 May 2017.

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Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 1:33, 17 May 2017

I don’t have that data to hand. This is a responsibility of my colleague, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government. But, if the data are already available, then I shall ask him to liaise with you specifically on that. I think it’s also important to recognise it’s not just car parks that can have an influence over the success or failure of a high street; it’s also whether a high street is populated with vibrant businesses. And there’s a lot of work taking place at the moment, looking at whether high streets can be shrunk, whether businesses, or business activity, can be consolidated into smaller, tighter areas, to generate a greater degree of activity that’s concentrated around a central hub.

This is something I’m very keen to explore as part of the place building element of the new prosperous and secure strategy. I think place building is absolutely essential in determining the prospects of a local economy. And, within an urban setting, it’s essential that a place feels of the highest quality, is accessible and is vibrant, not just during the daytime, but also at night time. And, for that reason, I think it’s essential that we go on supporting businesses in their diversification and ensure that town-centre economies are not just vibrant during the daytime, but also at night.

The Member also raised car parks as a means of accessibility into town centres. I think it’s essential as well that we go on investing in active travel and in local scheduled bus services, which, for many people, are an essential—indeed, crucial—means of accessing high streets and town centres. And I’m pleased that we are maintaining the £25 million for bus services across Wales, to ensure that those that wouldn’t operate on a commercial basis can still reach out to rural communities and connect them with urban centres.