Category Archives: News Centre

Feel very lucky…

…to have the opportunity to be starting work with two special towns. 🤳🏽 Running the ‘audit, engage’ phase of our #TheVacantShopsAcademy approach in Abertillery and Tredegar for Blaenau Gwent Council, but reflections on a first visit were about the strengths … Continue reading

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Vacancy. From 23 to 3 in 18 months…

This brings back memories. 🪜Just 10 years ago when our sign went up over the #popupshop which was to play a significant part in the revival of a street and with it the whole town centre. 📉 Flashop Wantage, the … Continue reading

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Our Union Street

“Together, as a community, we can…” “…we want to brighten the street, fill the units, use the space, tell the stories which lie behind our famous granite walls, and fully engage the people of Aberdeen in this urban revival. And … Continue reading

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Are your vacancy numbers what they seem…?

It’s happened again. 📉 Third time in recent weeks we’ve shared the ‘audit, engage’ data for one of our #TheVacantShopsAcademy locations and shown a different picture emerging than the one from our first walk-see there. The number of #highstreet units … Continue reading

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Do we need to build more #highstreet shops…?

… or at least create more spaces for them.🛍️ And do we need re-adjust the regulations to help #retail…? No wait. Before you start to wonder if I’ve had too much of the holiday rum & raisin ice cream🍦 The … Continue reading

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Something’s happening somewhere…

“Our town has a third fewer vacancies than it did in the spring.” “Wow. Actually, so has ours…!” What about yours…? 🤔 Just two towns reflecting on how the numbers have changed between the dates of our #TheVacantShopsAcademy walk-see in … Continue reading

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Aaaaaarrrrrggggh…! 🤬

#placemaking friends had to endure a bit of a ranting me this week as (yet) another national ‘death of the #highstreet’ headline disrupted one of my timelines. It was especially maddening because I read it while I was in Sunderland … Continue reading

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Are we missing a #highstreet story here…?

🔑 New openings, fresh investment, promising pipeline. I ask having been out & about for #TheVacantShopsAcademy in another location – the second in a few weeks – where the headline ‘visibly vacant’ number now looks very different having run ‘audit, … Continue reading

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Business Rates Avoidance and Evasion: a consultation

Are flaws in the business rates reliefs system contributing to #highstreet units staying vacant longer than needs be…? What changes would #placemaking and #property colleagues like to see based on your learning on the ground…? 🤔 The government has a … Continue reading

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Let…!

Thought it might be of interest to share a digest of some of the emails we’ve had from #highstreet #property agents in the last week. “Hi Iain we sold the property to an owner occupier a few months ago and … Continue reading

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