Diss resident Hannah Wright selected to join Government's High Street Task Force

A business leader from Diss has been tasked with boosting the country’s town centres while helping the transition to net-zero.

Hannah Wright, of Denmark Street, was approached to join the board of the Government’s forward-thinking High Street Task Force (HSTF) to lead on the green agenda.

The HSTF supports local leaders to revitalise high streets and town centres as part of a £675 million Future High Streets Fund set up by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in 2019.

The 47-year-old has built a reputation for transforming the fortunes of high streets after a highly successful stint working at Southwold Town Council over the past two years, where she oversaw a number of initiatives to help business owners during the pandemic.

“I sat between the town council and the businesses,” said Miss Wright, who writes a fortnightly column for the Diss Express.

“The council was looking for someone that could support the businesses moving forward and be a voice for them.”

Having spent several years working with environmental charities across the globe, she will now be tasked with ensuring the HSTF can play its part in supporting towns and cities to reduce carbon emissions while remaining economically viable.

“I will focus on supporting the local economies of towns and cities, helping them transition to a more sustainable future that embraces a circular economy,” she said.

“And not just sustainability in terms of how durable something is, but also how it’s going to positively or negatively impact the environment.

“If you ask most SMEs and local authorities how they will achieve net zero, I would say, hand on heart, most would say it’s a challenge and extremely overwhelming, but the majority are motivated to change their operations for the good.

“I can appreciate how the regulatory framework of the public sector – and all the red tape that comes with it – slows and hinders progress, so businesses do need to be supported, too.

“There definitely needs to be more joined-up thinking. At the moment, there appears to be a disconnect between local authorities and businesses across the UK.

“It’s the public versus private divide that needs bringing together – a challenge that was highlighted at COP26 last year.”