Westminster to launch inquiry into the high street following Portas hearing

The DCLG select committee will open the inquiry once the select committee for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has completed its inquiry into the retail sector, which is set to publish its findings in December.

The inquiry into the high street would focus more on the local authority viewpoint rather than solely on the retail sector, it is believed.

It comes days after retail expert Mary Portas was called to the committee to answer questions over her Government-backed Portas Review into how to resuscitate struggling high streets.

DCLG committee clerk Glenn McKee confirmed that the committee is mulling launching an inquiry but said it will depend on the outcome of the BIS inquiry into the retail sector whether or not it goes ahead.

He added: “We had a preliminary hearing on Monday and we will deliberate on what Portas said before deciding on whether to launch an inquiry.”

The DCLG has not yet agreed on the terms of reference for the a high street inquiry, which is the signal that it has been officially launched.

On Monday, Mary Portas defended herself from criticism she received for her work on the high street. She said Government reviews should come with a “health warning” after she received “a bashing” for her review.

She said: “I’m not the saviour of the high street, I cannot do this on my own. I’m the high street champion.”

The high street has also been under scrunity this week as former Focus boss Bill Grimsey published the Grimsey Review, the “alternative” review of the high street.

It is understood that since the launch, Grimsey has agreed to give evidence about the review to the BIS committee in October.

The BIS inquiry, which was launched in March, has called retail sector stakeholders and major retailers before it to give evidence, including Alliance Boots, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer.