IT is sad walking down a high street lined with empty windows where shops once stood. Even here in Cornwall, despite the brilliant independent businesses and vibrant streets, we still have many vacant commercial properties.

We are seeing a rise in overseas investment funds buying up high street properties, and many banks and shops are pulling out of towns. I’ve worked to get a banking hub in Falmouth Moor covering the five major banks, but that still leaves empty, abandoned branches in the town.

That is why this Labour government is giving communities a greater stake in shaping town centres - to strengthen local economies and help our high streets get back to thriving.

To help fill up these empty buildings, we are investing an additional £10-million over the next two years to support High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs). I have had many positive discussions around this reform with local traders in Truro and Falmouth pre-election and think it has great potential to make a difference.

HSRA powers allow councils to step in where properties have been left vacant for too long, giving them the power to take control of leases. This brings empty units back into use and gets them rented out again to new tenants at below-market rents. It gives businesses access to more affordable premises whilst keeping the high street alive.

This approach was tested in Harworth and Bircotes and made a huge difference, with vacancy rates falling from 11 per cent to three per cent. It would be good to see Cornwall Council replicate a similar success.

This presents a real opportunity for Cornwall, and I hope the Council are considering using these powers, as they could be very useful for some of our towns. While currently being piloted in specific areas, there is a strong case for Cornwall to benefit as more funding becomes available. The scheme could also lean on the local knowledge of our town councils to focus these powers on the buildings where the benefit would be felt the most.

We are also giving councils new powers to restrict shops that bring down local areas, and establishing a new High Street Organised Crime Unit in the Home Office to tackle organised crime on our high streets.

Alongside this, the new Neighbourhood Guarantee will set minimum standards for every neighbourhood in the country, from clean streets to accessible public services, backed by a new digital tool showing progress in every community.

Labour is helping councils to bring boarded-up shops back into use. Everyone wants to see improvements where they live, and our high streets are really central to that. They are where we come together and where local businesses grow. Our neighbourhoods deserve clean streets and working services within reach, and this government is making sure we bring that change to the places at the heart of our communities.