// The Queen’s speech reveals the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill
// The bill will give local councils the power to hold compulsory rental auctions on shops that have been empty for over a year
The government has said it will regenerate town centres and high streets as part of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, which was revealed during the Queen’s speech on Tuesday.
The bill will provide local councils the power to hold compulsory rental auctions on shops and other premises that have been empty for over a year, to make them available to new tenants.
It will also allow towns to make outdoor dining spaces that were temporarily introduced during the pandemic a permanent fixture.
READ MORE: Applications to turn shops into houses soar but councils block almost half
Prince Charles said the bill would be “brought forward to drive local growth, empowering local leaders to regenerate their areas, and ensuring everyone can share in the United Kingdom’s success”.
Boris Johnson said: “High streets up and down the country have long been blighted by derelict shopfronts, because they’ve been neglected, stripping opportunity from local areas.
“We are putting that right by placing power back in the hands of local leaders and the community so our towns can be rejuvenated, levelling up opportunity and restoring neighbourhood pride.”
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