Out-of-town retail developments that have an adverse impact on nearby town centres should contribute to their regeneration, an in-town retail asset manager toid the Accessible Retail Debate last week. Mark Williams, a partner at Hark Group and chairman of the distressed town centre property taskforce, was speaking at the debate at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in London. He told more than 200 property professionals in attendance that there should be a tax on out-of-town developments to help pay to convert the retail space in town centres rendered surplus as a result. Williams warned: "Town centres look pretty cooked," adding that there is a need to "decommission retail floorspace" to make way for other uses and return town centre vibrancy, but finance is needed to do this.
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