Phil Jones has been appointed to a task force to help breathe new life into struggling high streets and town centres across the West Midlands, which have suffered following a downturn in footfall as consumers turn to out-of-town outlets and online shopping.

The Regional Town Centre Task Force has been set up by Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Housing & Land Delivery Board, and is made up of experts from retail, development, finance, housing, education, community groups and Government.

Using an initial WMCA investment of £20 million, the advisory body will help guide changes and support new investment plans, starting with five pilot town centres – Bilston in Wolverhampton, St Thomas Quarter in Dudley, Bordesley Green in Birmingham, St Matthews Quarter in Walsall and West Bromwich (East) in Sandwell.

At their first meeting in June members all agreed that the problems are severe and urgent and so help must be delivered quickly through a cross-cutting approach, with politicians, local councils, community groups, academia and the private sector all coming together as one.

Andy Street said: “The calibre and expertise of the people around the table at the first Regional Town Centre Task Force meeting was exceptional, and their willingness to share their knowledge in support of the town centre programme shows just how important this issue is to our local communities and economies.”

Phil Jones added: “High street and town centre retail is declining but these places still have a vital role to play as the hubs of their communities. Using PJA’s specialism and experience in urban design, placemaking and transport planning, I look forward to working with the task force to help high streets and town centres adapt, with a new focus that could include leisure, entertainment and housing alongside retail.”