At the height of the Covid pandemic in 2020, the then-Conservative Government introduced new rules that made it much easier for businesses to change their use.
This new Class E designation helped businesses adapt and change on the fly as high streets struggled as a result of significantly reduced footfall and changing shopping habits.
The Class E designation brought a wide variety of commercial uses under one category, allowing changes without the need for a planning application or wider public consultation.
However, Hucknall councillor Lee Waters (Ashfield Independents) says this has led to an influx in and “over-concentration” of barbershops, vape shops and nail bars on the district’s high streets.
Ashfield District Council has now supported calls to write to the Government to review these planning laws.
An audit of all high street barbershops, vape shops and nail bars will also be conducted to make sure all businesses are operating in a legitimate way.
Cllr Waters said: “Most of these businesses are legit, they’re legal, they do a good job and so forth, but there is a public perception there is something untoward happening, so this does a bit more of an investigation to reassure the public.
“It is also trying to support getting more traditional shops back into the high street.”
A compliance review of all current businesses will now take place using council resources, with a report due in the future.
“How many vape shops, how many barbershops do we have?” Cllr Waters said.
“We will be making sure we are liaising with Trading Standards and the police, and a report is put to the council to explain everything is OK with these particular businesses.”
Cllr Waters proposed the motion alongside fellow councillor David Shaw, of Hucknall West, at a meeting on Monday (July 27).
While the motion was generally supported, some concerns were raised during the meeting, with fears that getting rid of Class E and forcing businesses to submit planning applications could prevent entrepreneurialism and create more barriers.
Cllr Matt Relf of the Ashfield Independents, who is the council’s executive lead member for growth, regeneration and local planning, abstained from the vote because he felt the proposed solution was not the right one.
“I completely agree with their concerns around the high street, and I agree we should be writing to the Government to help us do something about that”
“But I do not agree the planning system is the reason for that. There has been such a radical change with our high streets, and it is unclear what satisfies consumers.
“[The amount of barbershops, vape shops and nail bars] seems surprising, but there must be demand, otherwise they would not be staying open.
“Starting a new business is incredibly daunting and complicated, I do not want to put people off.”
He said the Government should be looking at business rates and higher taxes on high-transaction warehouses, operated by larger businesses and multi-national corporations, as alternative methods to help the high street.
Yet, he added, the key to supporting the struggling high street is to address the cost of living crisis: “There needs to be money in people’s pockets, otherwise it is going to be an uphill struggle.”
Cllr Keir Barsby, who left the Ashfield Independents to stand independently for Sutton St Mary’s, agreed and added: “I supported what they were saying in that there were too many, but this would be putting barriers in front of new businesses.”
By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter