Good news. I’ve been asked to help with locations for the ‘improving high streets’ part of the Prime Minister’s summer tour.
Actually, to be honest, I haven’t, but it’s been really interesting thinking about where I’d suggest and why.
The imaginary email limited me to picking three places that’d be insightful in terms of tackling high street vacancy.
So where would you choose. Do let me know…
There are a number of places we’ve worked with on reducing empty shops totals and improving the mix of uses who’ve seen their headline vacancy rate drop from teens into single figures, and others on that journey. All have stories to share and elements of their approach that are useful learning for places who’ve not yet got underway on this issue.
But my tour map would have pins for the PM in Aberdeen, Crewe and Tredegar.
Here’s why…
Focusing on its historic and important Union Street, the Team Aberdeen approach I still see as a tackling highstreet vacancy beacon, especially because you can point to a crucial piece each of the different players has brought to the table. And also because they’ve gone on to take the same working together ethos with their focus on upper floors, something which is already being taken up by other places.
Crewe and Tredegar I’d suggest because both looked like needing pre-steps before the tackling vacancy work could totally focus on particular units…
For Crewe it’s been a series of infrastructure projects, new additions and conversion work on its large, empty ex-retail stores plus a focus on arts & crafts, creative, culture, community as early options to take on space – including the brilliant Platform by CreweCreates and the upcoming Her-Place Women’s Centre.
In Tredegar a major ‘look’ initiative has been the initial focus, including the stunning wall art series we’ve reported here as it’s developed, plus what should be a transformative change into local ownership for the town’s shopping centre, which is now starting to see improvement works get underway.
To be clear, all 3 have their challenges still and there’s much to do but that’s part of what makes them really valuable case studies.
It’d be great to walk and talk the PM and his team through while also taking the opportunity to spotlight some of the projects and initiatives we’re seeing in other places that could be valuable models and case studies too.
So back to the question. Which places are you putting on the PM’s itinerary…?
