Written Evidence Submission: Scotland’s High Streets and Town Centres — Focus on Independent Businesses

Written Evidence Submission: Scotland’s High Streets and Town Centres — Focus on Independent Businesses submitted 15 December 2025

From – Scottish Craft Butchers, Trade Association

Representing circa 330 Independent retail butchers’ businesses in Scotland and some in England.

8/10 Needless Road, Perth, UK

How are Scotland’s high streets changing, and what is the long-term future—particularly for independent businesses?

Scotland’s high streets are shifting from retail-dominated spaces to mixed-use, community-focused environments. Independent businesses are increasingly central to this transition. Key changes include:

Continued decline of large national chains, leaving gaps that independents often fill with more adaptable, place-specific offerings.
A rise in micro-retail and service-led enterprises—cafés, specialist shops, creative industries, repair services, health and wellbeing providers.
Growing community support for local, ethical, and sustainable business models.
Higher operational pressures (energy costs, labour shortages, supply chain expenses, challenging delivery access issues for bulky temperature controlled food that need to be off loaded near the premises) that disproportionately affect small businesses.

In the long term, independents will form the backbone of resilient high streets, provided structural barriers—particularly property costs, planning rigidity, and business rates—are addressed.

What do people in Scotland want from their high streets, especially in relation to independent businesses?

Research consistently shows a strong public preference for:

Independent businesses that offer character, quality, and personal service.
Local ownership that reinvests profits into the local economy.
Streets with a mix of independent retail, food, leisure, and cultural activities, creating a sense of identity.
Markets, festivals, and pop-up opportunities to showcase local makers and entrepreneurs.

Communities increasingly see independents as essential to creating vibrant, distinctive places rather than generic shopping zones.

How do rural/remote high streets differ from urban high streets for independent businesses?

Rural and Remote

Independents often provide essential daily services—Butchers, Bakers, grocers, cafés, pharmacies, post offices, repair services.
Business viability is strongly linked to seasonal tourism and transport links.
Community loyalty tends to be strong, but margins are tight and service withdrawal by large providers puts extra pressure on local independents.

Urban

Greater competition, but also higher footfall and more diversified markets.
Independents often occupy smaller units or repurposed spaces as chains exit.
Rising rent, parking challenges, and uneven transport planning can inhibit growth.

Across Scotland, independents are disproportionately affected by property affordability, business rates, and costs of compliance.

What factors are needed to create a sustainable environment for independent retail, hospitality, and the night-time economy?

Business Rates Reform
Independent businesses need a fairer system that reflects turnover, not just property value.
Affordable, flexible premises
Incentives for landlords to offer shorter leases, meanwhile use, rent caps for long-vacant units, and grants for refurbishing old buildings.
Investment in workforce pipelines
Independent hospitality and craft retail rely on skills that need stable training pathways.
Funding in Scotland for Apprenticeships that matches or better than the funding available elsewhere in the UK ( currently 1/3 funding for a level 2 Modern Apprenticeship -£3k- in Scotland compared to England & Wales-£10k)
Support for local supply chains
Transport improvements, regional distribution hubs, and procurement favouring local businesses.
Consistent public realm improvements
Clean, safe, well-lit streets, reliable late-night transport, and pedestrian-friendly design are crucial for small businesses’ viability.
Digital enablement support
Help with online sales, booking systems, and digital marketing—critical for small business competitiveness.
Business Succession Support
Guidance and help to small independent businesses with having a succession plan where retirement is approaching.

Ensuring sustainable access to services—implications for independent businesses

Independent service providers (e.g., Butchers, Bakers, pharmacies, cafés hosting parcel lockers, local repair shops) can fill gaps left by larger organisations if supported through:

Shared-service hubs where independents co-locate with health, postal, banking or community services.
Grants for digital infrastructure, allowing independents to host services such as cash machines, parcel lockers, or telehealth access points.
Protection against service deserts, particularly in rural communities where independents maintain essential local access.

Responding to vacant properties—how to empower communities and independent businesses

Key steps include:

Compulsory Sale Orders or simplified CPO powers for long-vacant units, enabling communities or independents to acquire them.
Vacancy taxes to encourage landlords to bring properties back into use.
Accessible micro-units and shared spaces, such as subdividing large former chain stores.
Support for community ownership, giving local people control over strategic premises that can be leased affordably to independents.
Funding for shopfront improvements and energy efficiency, a major cost pressure for existing small businesses.

Local authorities need sustained regeneration funding, not just short-term competitive grants, to support these measures.

Accessibility—ensuring high streets work for everyone, including independent businesses

Independents rely on accessible high streets to expand their customer base. Improvements needed include:

Step-free access, clear pavements, sufficient parking & specific disabled parking.
Improved and unhindered delivery access for bulky temperature controlled food that need to be off loaded near the premises.
Support for independents to meet accessibility standards, such as grants for shopfront adjustments or accessible restrooms.
Consistent national guidance on inclusive design in small premises.

Successful regeneration examples with strong independent business components

Lessons from Scotland and elsewhere highlight:

Dundee’s Waterfront and cultural-led regeneration: supports indie cafés, creative businesses, and local retail by improving place identity.
Wigtown Book Town: shows the power of a themed independent business ecosystem.
Huntly’s community-led regeneration: demonstrates the impact of arts, community ownership, and small business incubation.

Burntisland High Street Focus: The town’s High Street is noted as a success due to its independent businesses, but efforts aim to provide more support, reduce business rates, and tackle derelict sites like the former cinema for new development.

Common factors:

Long-term investment, not isolated projects.
A strong cultural narrative that differentiates place.
Community involvement and support for local entrepreneurship.
Mixed-use development that ensures all-day footfall.

. How can UK and Scottish Governments work with communities and local authorities to support high streets centred on independent businesses?

Align funding for place-based regeneration and simplify access for small businesses.
Create national independent business support programmes, including digital adoption, start-up grants, and energy-efficiency funding.
Introduce a Scotland-wide “Independent Business Impact Assessment” for planning and policy changes.
Enable councils to manage derelict property, using taxation and acquisition powers.
Support community-owned town centre hubs, rented affordably to local entrepreneurs
Embed independent businesses into neighbourhood planning, ensuring local shops and services are integral to community design.