WHAT do you love about your high street? That question has been posed by Historic England to people in the south west as part of a nationwide survey.

As the first part of a national conversation on the future of our high streets, Historic England is asking people to share what they love about their local high street on social media. Whether it’s the memory of the place you bought your first ever album, a shop that’s become part of your weekend routine, or a place you go to meet friends and family.

The public body says that people’s stories will come together to build a national picture of what makes high streets so special and to learn what matters most when it comes to their future.

According to a Historic England commissioned YouGov survey, 73 per cent of people said their high street is important to them, 54 per cent feel pessimistic about their high street’s future and 40 per cent feel motivated to take action to help their high street’s future.

Historic England is working to secure the future of more than 60 historic high streets across England as part of the government-funded £95 million High Streets Heritage Action Zone scheme.

In the south west, there are 10 schemes through which Historic England is working with local partners to transform disused and dilapidated buildings into new homes, shops, work places and community spaces, including Poole High Street.

Heritage minister Caroline Dinenage said: “High streets are at the heart of our communities and have played a central role in driving economic growth for decades. It is vital we protect them for local people to enjoy long into the future, reimagining and rebooting them for the modern world so they can be proud of where they live.

“This timely research will help us better understand what people value in their high street and ensure we are providing the right support.”

To share what you love about your high street use the #HighStreetLove via @HistoricEngland on Twitter and Instagram, www.facebook.com/HistoricEngland or www.linkedin.com/company/historicengland.