It’s 3 years this week since our first out & about on a tackling vacancy commission for The Vacant Shops Academy.
Thanks Cheltenham…!
In the time since we’ve taken our ‘audit, engage, encourage, promote’ approach to 36 locations, seen some great places, worked with brilliant place leaders and managers and learned a huge amount.
Thank you to everyone – agents, landlords, businesses, communities, cultural organisations, council colleagues, chamber and BID teams and many more.
We’ve started to see a number of those places take their headline vacancy rate down, some of them by significant chunks, and improve their mix of uses.
We’re seeing that having a ‘place partnership’ in play is fundamental and understanding more about how the other key elements: tackling vacancy grant or loan schemes, #popup shop or ‘meanwhile… use’ projects, and the rest make their impact.
That there’s a bigger role for arts & crafts, creative, cultural, community, history & heritage, leisure, education, health and health & wellbeing uses alongside #retail, #hospitality & services is ever clearer, and as more places facilitate and support examples that will only strengthen.
We’ve now the confidence to say to places up front that if they take on the approach they can aim to halve their headline vacancy rate in 18 months and improve that mix of uses. Some will do it faster.
Why wouldn’t you give it a try…?
If you’re on a tackling #highstreet vacancy journey in your town or city centre or are keen to, it would be great to hear from you.
We’ve just updated our guide and if you’d like a copy do please shout…
