Revitalising West Midlands Town Centres and High Streets: A Comprehensive Assessment of Footfall Data Collection
Published 07 April 2025
Updated 07 April 2025
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This report assesses the current state of data collection for town centres and high streets within the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) area, with a particular focus on footfall data. It emphasises the significance of this evidence as a foundation for strategic planning and service delivery for revitalising our town centres and high streets. The report identifies the diverse methods used for footfall counting, ranging from manual clicker counts to advanced mobile app data, and discusses their respective advantages and limitations. It highlights the inconsistency in data collection and usage in the West Midlands, which leads to a poor understanding of its high streets. By establishing a peer network of high streets officers to understand the needs of local authorities and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), and exploring the option of pooling budgets, there is an opportunity to develop a more unified approach. This approach would enable the West Midlands city-region to procure a region-wide footfall counting solution, providing a comprehensive understanding of its town centres and high streets.