London Assembly urges Khan to revitalize high streets with public art, community projects

The London Assembly has called on Mayor Sadiq Khan to revitalize the city's struggling high streets by launching an 'Art on the High Street' program to commission public art installations, murals, and interactive artworks, aiming to foster unique local character and heritage. The Assembly emphasized that residents often feel left out of regeneration plans, and highlighted challenges such as increased online shopping and issues like poor litter management and inadequate food waste segregation. To further rejuvenate high streets, the Assembly recommended supporting local community groups to take over empty shop units for community projects, utilizing new powers under High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs). These auctions, enabled by recent legal changes, allow councils to lease out long-vacant properties to local groups and businesses. While a broader 'London Art Trail' proposal was previously rejected due to budget and maintenance constraints, the Assembly insisted City Hall should still work with local schools and artists for high street commissions. City Hall has noted existing investments in town centre regeneration and ongoing efforts to repurpose empty retail spaces.