The debate, held in House of Common’s Westminster Hall, saw Mr Murphy use Basingstoke as a case study to highlight the challenges facing high streets, including long-term shop vacancies, declining footfall, and rising anti-social behaviours.
“My constituency, Basingstoke, like so many towns across the UK, is grappling with the consequences of years of neglect and changing habits and shopping trends of consumers,” he said.
During the debate, Mr Murphy praised several independent businesses in Basingstoke, including Gabardine Bar, Chennai Express, Post Box, Dice Tower, and Festival Street Kitchen, which he described as “fantastic local businesses that want to see a thriving town centre.”
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Gabardine Bar owners Fran O’Halloran and Kevin Nelson were in attendance at Westminster Hall to listen to the debate.
Mr Murphy expressed concerns about long-term vacancies in Basingstoke’s Festival Place shopping centre, particularly the former Debenhams site, which has been empty for years.
“New businesses open their doors with optimism but often find themselves shutting within months,” he said.
Alex Norris MP, minister for local growth, responded to Mr Murphy’s concerns, outlining the government’s plans to empower local authorities to address persistent vacancies and thus revitalising town centres.
“These new regulations will make tenancies more accessible and affordable for tenants,” the minister said.
He also discussed the measures to support businesses, including tackling high energy costs, making loans more accessible, and reforming business rates by 2026-27.
Mr Norris highlighted efforts to combat retail crime, such as increasing police visibility and removing the £200 cap on shoplifting prosecutions.
You can watch the 30-minute debate here.
The debate followed on from Labour leader Keir Starmer’s visit to Basingstoke’s Top of Town during the general election campaign.
Accompanied by Dragons’ Den investor Theo Paphitis, Mr Starmer visited The Gabardine, when he highlighted Labour’s commitment to reviving Britain’s high streets.
“Our high streets have huge potential, but they aren’t living up to it,” said Mr Murphy after the debate.
“People want the Top of Town to be a source of pride, but they don’t feel that way right now. There’s too much anti-social behaviour, not enough police visibility, and long-term vacancies dragging the area down.”
Addressing concerns about the oversaturation of certain businesses, like barber shops, Mr Murphy also called for greater diversity in the town centre.
“What we need is a range of businesses that draw in higher footfall—restaurants, event spaces, bars, and more. Diversity is key,” he said.
“I want to work in partnership with the council to see what additional powers they need, what extra support they require from the government, and what I can do to support them.”
To maintain momentum, Mr Murphy has now revealed plans to host a ‘Top of Town Summit’ next month, bringing together local businesses, community groups, and the council.
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The summit will focus on identifying actionable steps to tackle long-term vacancies, promote business diversity, and address crime and anti-social behaviour.
“Let’s focus on the things that need changing and figure out how we can change them together,” he said.