Author Archives: Iain Nicholson

Brilliant two days with one of the local teams we’re working alongside on tackling vacancy… …with a number of positive and encouraging signs of things happening that are helping bring down their empty shops numbers already and will make bigger … Continue reading →

“You could aim to halve your headline vacancy rate in 18 months.” I said that 4 times this week in conversations with place leaders from different locations – two cities, two towns. Not ones we’re commissioned in, tho they have … Continue reading →

“Join us on a stroll through streets full of linen stories, exploring heritage and contemporary design as we walk and talk.” Sounds great to me, and it sparked new conversations about the role history & heritage, the buildings, people and … Continue reading →

“Reasons to be cheerful, part (forty) three.” …to slightly adjust that 80’s lyric. So reflecting on 3 successive weeks out & about in 5 locations – three town centres, two cities – visiting existing and new tackling #highstreet vacancy commissions… … Continue reading →

“Half the visibly vacant units in town and city centres have no commercial property agent involved in trying to get them let.” 50 per cent. One in every two. …and that’s an average figure, so in your place it might … Continue reading →

To visit another of our new Scotland tackling #highstreet vacancy commissions: Galashiels. Lots to reflect on including… …and more. Not least from our perspective that the town’s business improvement district team – BID for Galashiels – are already focused on … Continue reading →

…a really enjoyable, insightful first visit to Stirling city centre. We’re looking forward now to running our ‘audit, engage’ approach to see what more it tells us about the status, options and barriers to let of those ‘opportunities’ units and … Continue reading →

It’s really heartening to return to a town centre we’d run our ‘audit, engage’ approach in among earlier adopters for #TheVacantShopsAcademy and to find it looks to be moving forward strongly on a number of fronts. So back to the … Continue reading →

Historic landmarks, heritage buildings, seafront, #streetart and installations, treasured local characters, a market – all things that can be a factor in work to strengthen the vitality and viability of your town or city centre and its businesses today. It’d … Continue reading →