Andy Burnham says high streets have been ‘hollowed out’ over ‘decades of decline’ as he vows to crack down on spread of vaping shops and bookies
Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, has said England's high streets have been "hollowed out" by "decades of decline" and pledged to clamp down on the proliferation of vaping shops and bookmakers on local shopping parades. He argues that the unchecked spread of such outlets has contributed to the decline of traditional high streets, pushing out more diverse retail and hospitality businesses and damaging the character of town centres.
Burnham's comments form part of a wider push to regenerate high streets across Greater Manchester and beyond, with planning restrictions on vaping shops and betting shops seen as one lever to encourage a broader mix of businesses. The intervention reflects growing political concern, echoed by other local and national figures, over the changing face of Britain's high streets amid ongoing pressures from online shopping and economic decline.
- Burnham says high streets suffered "decades of decline"
- He wants curbs on vaping shops and bookmakers
- Part of a push to regenerate Greater Manchester's town centres
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
High streets have genuinely suffered from the clustering of low-barrier-to-entry businesses like vaping and betting shops, which often replace diverse independent retailers without generating the economic vitality or community appeal that draws sustained footfall. Planning restrictions represent a legitimate tool for local authorities to shape their commercial character, encouraging a broader mix that supports families, hospitality, and genuine commerce rather than accepting whatever fills vacant units. The argument is not anti-business but pro-regeneration—these restrictions aim to prevent the homogenisation that makes town centres feel indistinguishable and uninviting.
The case against
Vaping and betting shops are legitimate enterprises serving real consumer demand, and singling them out for restrictions feels paternalistic and unfairly maligns small business owners exercising their right to trade. The genuine pressures on high streets—online competition, soaring business rates, expensive commercial rents—remain entirely unaddressed by restricting specific shop types, which may simply displace the problem rather than solve it. Characterising these businesses as a symptom of decline, rather than a rational market response to it, risks distracting from the structural economic reforms that would actually help all independent retailers compete.