Once neglected high streets across England have been given a dazzling new lease of life in a multi-million pound regeneration drive that experts say could halt the slow death of town centres.
A £103m heritage blitz masterminded by Historic England has seen 67 ailing high streets transformed back to heyday best – as these before and after pictures reveal.
The pioneering four-year High Streets Heritage Action Zones project repaired 723 historic buildings, restored 462 shopfronts to their original glory, and brought 43,000 square metres of commercial space back into use.
Images shared with the Daily Mail reveal how plastic shop signs, flaking paint and boarded windows have been replaced with traditional facades, complete with Victorian-style awnings, hand-painted signage and timber frames.
Vacant buildings have been repurposed, while a programme of events, festivals and public art has helped attract visitors into towns, restoring fading civic pride.
Louise Brennan, of Historic England said: ‘The HSHAZ programme has created lasting benefits from economic growth to community wellbeing.
‘It has strengthened local economies by attracting new jobs, investments, and businesses to historic high streets. It has fostered community cohesion through a renewed a sense of belonging, boosting wellbeing and improving people’s lives.
‘It has also generated cultural and social growth, making heritage more accessible and inclusive through festivals, events, and public art projects.
‘And finally, it has shown how heritage can accelerate regeneration through collaborative partnerships which, in turn, generate impactful and sustainable change.’
In Lincoln, Lincolnshire, a once drab Sincil Street shop now houses boutique Jailhouse Frock, painted a striking pink and boasting gleaming period details.
In Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, the Lawless Barber shop’s rich wood frontage and gold lettering hark back to the seaside town’s Victorian glory days.
Matt Whitehead, owner of Redemption Coffee and Kitchen in Tyldesley, Lancashire, said: ‘The sash windows that have been here since 1895 have been remodelled and reinstated, and redeveloped and the shop front is probably what it would’ve looked like in the Victorian era.’
He hopes his own restoration will inspire others to follow suit and create ‘an area we can be proud to be part of’.
Before the facelift, Tyldesley’s high street was in steep decline.
‘Historic buildings on the high street were placed on Historic England’s Risk Register, meaning they were at risk of being lost,’ the organisation said.
‘Through community engagement, local residents shaped work done to the high street, including improving shopfronts, accessibility, and greening public spaces.’
Other towns have also felt the benefits. Dunstable, Bedfordshire, Swaffham, Norfolk, Buxton, Derbyshire, Selby, North Yorkshire, Tewkesbury and Gloucestershire, have all seen historic gems brought back to life.
Across the programme, funded with help from Arts Council England and the National Lottery, a further 224 homes have been created or refurbished, and street improvements covered more than 119,000 square metres.
In Coventry, 16 medieval-era shopfronts – damaged during the Blitz – were restored or rebuilt using traditional designs.
Historic Coventry Trust said of the makeover: ‘The street has been transformed, with new roofs, restored sash windows, repaired historic shopfronts and new shopfronts using traditional designs and materials.
‘At least seven of the businesses have invested in major internal refurbishment to complement the scheme.’
Middlesbrough’s Grade II-listed Masham pub has been reborn as a cultural hub, while in Harlesden, north west London, a derelict 1891 HSBC bank is now the headquarters of Refugee Education UK. Even a tatty parade between two historic pubs has been given a smart facelift.
Heritage England said in a report: ‘This improvement has sparked additional private investment, with neighbouring businesses investing in their shopfronts to match the improved streetscape.’
The restoration programme provided an economic boost of nearly a quarter of a billion pounds and created more than 700 jobs, according to an independent study.
The majority of the funding for the programme was distributed as grants to local partners, most of which were local authorities. Project grants ranged from £300,000 to over £5m, with the average grant being around £1.3m.
Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive at Historic England, said: ‘Heritage-led regeneration can create impactful and sustainable change in a way that improves people’s lives.
‘Developed in response to the changing use of high streets, the programme took a new approach to ensuring our high streets can adapt and grow to support our local communities.
‘The programme was designed around three core objectives: supporting sustainable economic and cultural growth on and around high streets, changing perceptions of heritage and high streets, and restoring and enhancing local historic character.
‘It successfully demonstrated how a heritage-led solution can reimagine high streets as vibrant centres of their community, using cultural heritage as a catalyst for regeneration.
‘An independent evaluation by AMION consulting showed that investing in historic places stimulates growth by creating jobs, attracting investment, and generating a renewed sense of local pride.
‘Earlier this year, we shared our evaluation of the programme so that others can benefit from the lessons we have learned over the past four years. This will strengthen the resilience of high streets, underpinning economic growth and helping communities and visitors to use and enjoy them for years to come.’
