Tackling #highstreet vacancy. It’s not just “an agent-landlords thing”.
Seriously it’s not. And having spent much of the week talking to #property colleagues in 8 of the locations we’re working, you can easily see that.
If the vacancy rate in your town or city centre is in the high teens or even 20+ per cent, there’s 100% a role for the ‘place’ – councils, BID where there is one, chamber, businesses, community, creative & cultural organisations.
And if you’re just thinking to watch and hope, your numbers may well get worse.
Just to be clear. For sure it’s agents, landlords and the would-be new occupiers who do the heaving lifting on lettings, but – and especially where there are lots of empties – you may not see the results you’d hope for…
+ a small study by #TheVacantShopsAcademy found that on average 40% of visibly vacant units had no agent involved;
+ for landlords there is a lengthy list of reasons why they might not go for a deal;
+ …and even where they do, the outcome may not be one residents or neighbour businesses are thrilled about if it’s ’more of the same’ and doesn’t add to the mix.
On the other side of the story, the ‘place partnership’ members all have something of their own to bring to the party:
+ councils – as many have done – can create grant funding schemes to support incoming tenants with the often high costs of taking on a unit;
+ the BID or Chamber can host a comprehensive listing of available vacant units online so they’re easily accessible for interested occupiers;
creative & cultural or community groups can start attractive and popular #popupshop options in an empty or two;
+ existing businesses will have suggestions about use types that would work here and can help promote the opportunities and new arrivals.
And so it continues. We’re really happy to talk more about how a tackling vacancy-focused ‘place partnership’ works and why it is number 1 ‘next steps’ suggestion for locations we’re commissioned in.
Can you see how that helps if your place has high and maybe rising empty unit numbers…? Do let us know.
