High Street Task Force alumni reunite to launch consortium

The High Street Consultancy is made up of eight professionals with extensive experience in rejuvenating struggling town centres.

Each of the consortium’s founding partners has played a part in delivering change to various towns across the country through the government’s High Streets Task Force.

• Emma James – a marketeer by trade who has worked across both public and private sectors on various high-profile projects including Great Northern Warehouse and Corn Exchange in Manchester.
• Matt Colledge – director at Into Places and former chief executive of the High Street Task Force, Colledge was instrumental in the much-lauded regeneration of Altrincham.
• Sonia Cubrilo – director at Into Places alongside Colledge, Cubrillo also played a pivotal role in the success of Altrincham.
• Graham Galpin – former cabinet member at Ashford Council who led the regeneration of the town centre.
• Ian Ferguson – strategy and development director at Pfbb UK, which helps places establish BIDs, Ferguson has decades of experience in place consultancy and, like his fellow partners, is a fellow at the Institute for Place Management.
• Ben Stephenson – chief executive of the Angel Islington BID, and founder of the Bristol Urban Forum.
• Joe Barratt – best-known for supporting the creation of Foodie Friday in Stockport, Barratt has a background in developing creative initiatives aimed at activating town centres.
• Graham Soult – founder of retail consultancy CannyInsights.com in 2010, Soult is a well-known figure in the town centre regen space, working nationally to fill empty shops.

The consultancy aims to offer a one-stop-shop for town centre regeneration advice, bringing its combined experience to bear.

Strategies around place activation, branding, marketing, visioning, BID development, vacant units, business and retail support, and cultural and heritage strategies are all within the HSC’s wheelhouse.

Graham Soult said: “By offering a suite of practical tools and nationally recognised models, we can help towns and high streets tackle the specific challenges they face.

“A key strength of the former High Streets Task Force was its breadth of expertise, and we see The High Street Consultancy continuing that approach tailored to local needs.”

Underpinning the consultancy’s work – which will be carried out alongside the members’ day jobs initially – is the belief that “thriving town centres are critical for local identity, community belonging, enterprise, and wellbeing”, it said in a statement announcing the venture.

The launch of the consortium follows the government’s recently announced Pride in Place initiative, that sets out to empower communities in shaping prosperous and sustainable places.

Professor Cathy Parker, chair of the Institute of Place Management, endorsed the initiative: “I’m delighted to witness an important legacy of the High Streets Task Force in the form of The High Street Consultancy.

“Having led pioneering place research and initiatives for over 30 years, I know that the need for dedicated place expertise, capacity and resources has never been greater. This consortium helps to fill that gap and will be instrumental in supporting places on their transformation journeys.”