Let’s get places to try halve their headline vacancy rate and drop the long-stuck national empties percentage into single figures.
Reading that the government is planning to publish a ‘High Streets Strategy’ later this year, I thought to table again the top item on my tackling #highstreet vacancy ‘manifesto’…
“Ask (and resource) every local authority to report on vacancy numbers twice a year, and work with agents, landlords, businesses, community, cultural organisations, chamber and BID where there is one plus others identified locally, to help overcome barriers to getting empty units let…”
We’ve had no luck getting that yet, but if at first you don’t succeed…
And why, if you were government, wouldn’t you do it…?
We know the approach works. Places started doing it a dozen or so years ago, more are now and seeing chunks come out of their empty units numbers.
It’d be good for growth, create jobs, deliver revenue to councils, contribute to increasing housing availability, help with health improvement targets and with sustainability, boost ‘pride in place’ and much more. A whole raft of local and national government objectives supported with one measure.
It’s also – and I guess I would say this – a much more cost effective approach than some of the big ticket spend things we’ve tried in recent years.
I get that there are accompanying policy and regulation adjusts we’d need too, but as I’ve said, the prize is to see a lengthy list of town and city centres halve their headline vacancy rate in 18 months as well as improve the mix of uses there.
Nationally that’s going to cut the overall rate from the 13.5–14% it’s been at for ages, into – if enough places get on the case – single figures.
Anyone think that’s a plan…? Or want to tell me why not…?
It’d be great to hear from you.
