It's vital we back our smaller high-streets - Sutton Chamber president

Let me play devil’s advocate – do we focus too much on our large town centres and city centre high-streets, writes Gary Phelps?

These areas are hugely important. People care passionately about them.

In many ways, they provide a visual barometer of how a place is performing and, sitting at the centre of our transport networks, are the first thing that visitors see. They represent the civic heart of our communities.

And, with all the pressure placed on the modern High Street, these central areas understandably get a great deal of attention. 

Sutton Coldfield Town Centre is the second biggest shopping area in Birmingham and local people really want to see it succeed.

There is a huge amount of effort going into re-shaping it, led by a detailed regeneration masterplan drawn by the town council. Millions of pounds of government cash have been earmarked for a revamp of transport links.

There's more money coming from the Pride in Place programme, which was originally called the Towns Fund.

It's also served by an ambitious and dynamic Business Improvement District – the Visit Royal Sutton Coldfield BID – which regularly organises events to drive footfall and attract attention, from farmers markets to business talks by stars from Dragon’s Den.

What's more, the Gracechurch Centre, which represents the lion’s share of the town centre, is now owned by Birmingham company BPG, who seem more attuned to local wishes than previous owners.

They scored a major coup in attracting Australian retailer Harvey Norman to open their UK HQ in our town recently.

And there is big money going into significant town centre public buildings – the Town Hall, the Cottage Hospital – alongside businesses such as Rudy’s Pizza and Wagamama choosing to open here.

As president of the Royal Sutton Coldfield Chamber, I sit on the Sutton Coldfield Town Centre Regeneration Partnership, which brings together all kinds of agencies and groups to ensure joined-up thinking and better delivery.

So, while there is much still to do, all this work is paying dividends.

This effort to support town centres is being reflected all across the West Midlands, in places like Solihull, Darlaston, Dudley, Walsall and Leamington Spa, with town centres getting a boost from numerous funding pots, from the Future High Street Fund to cash from the West Midlands Combined Authority.

But here is my point - by focusing on them so much, are we potentially neglecting the smaller high streets in our communities, and the successes they are seeing?

In Sutton Coldfield, smaller suburban centres like Wylde Green, Boldmere, Mere Green and Walmley are bustling.

Business, of course, is never easy...but a visit to any of these smaller high streets reveals vibrant community hubs.

According to the Centre for Cities, smaller, ‘tertiary’ local high streets are outperforming larger centres by benefiting from increased footfall due to remote working and a preference for convenience. While city centres may struggle with high vacancy rates, local high streets and suburban town centres are seeing a resurgence in community-focused retail and hospitality as shoppers work closer to home.

Compared to our major town centres, they are less reliant on national chains, have lower rents and often benefit from being walkable distances from their clientele.

They also tend to have the kind of individual independent businesses – from clothes boutiques to butchers to long-standing local practices like solicitors and accountants – that many would like to see in our major town centres again.

The problem is these areas don't always have a voice.

That's where the Chamber steps up – by representing businesses regardless of where they are based. So many of our members in Sutton are based in these suburban areas. The Chamber can work with BIDS and smaller traders' associations to ensure everyone has their say.

We all want our city and larger town centres to succeed, and it's great to see investment pouring into them. They mean a great deal to our communities.

But local commerce is an ecosystem, and the success of a smaller high street is of equal importance to the communities that live around them. The Chamber is there to give them a voice too.

Gary Phelps is president of Royal Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce and managing director of Gary Phelps Communications

This column first appeared in the May 2026 edition of Chamberlink magazine