The training for the town teams, which were created following recommendations in retail expert Mary Portas' review of the high street, will include encouraging towns to carry out high street health checks; agreeing what town centres can offer residents and visitors and explanations of how to best make use of planning powers and new community rights.
The training will be provided through workshops by organisations including the Association of Town and City Management, Centre for Local Economic Strategies and Business in the Community.
The measure is part of the Government’s ongoing programme of support to breathe new life into high streets and to equip local communities with the powers and tools they need to respond to changing trends and develop plans that are the right fit for their communities.
"We have reset the terms to allow high streets to thrive in the digital age with tax breaks for small businesses, a simplified planning system and fairer parking rules," said Pickles. "We’ve also followed many of the recommendations set out in the Portas Review, but it is now for ‘town teams’ to come together and plan what they want from their high streets, not just today, but in 10, 15, 20 years’ time."
"There isn’t a one-size-fits-all model but with the help of these dedicated local high street experts town teams will have the tools to make the changes they want, and support the high streets of the future," Pickles added.
The programme starts this month and will run until 2015.
