The Vacant Shops Academy

It’s the first I’ve seen of a council looking to take up this option “to protect the high street”.

Are #placemaking and #property colleagues seeing similar in other parts of the country…?

This from the BBC explains the story:

“A Surrey council is proposing to stop allowing developers to turn retail properties into housing without full planning permission in a bid to protect the high street.

Reigate & Banstead Borough Council said it planned to remove permitted development rights to convert ground floor commercial units into residential properties.

The implementation of an Article 4 direction would mean developers have to apply for full planning permission in order to convert properties.”

The legislation when introduced always had this option, but I’d not heard of a local authority considering deploying it until now.

I feel very much the same about use class guidance for the #highstreet which I’d argue has thrown up unintended consequences and so is overdue for review with consideration of an option to give local councils some flexibility for the benefit of our town and city centres.

Both adjustments featured – along with a review of all the clauses in business rates reliefs regs which you could argue are preventing or at least slowing empty units being brought back into play – in our ‘manifesto’, which sets out policy and regulation changes we figured would help places trying to tackle vacancy and improve the mix of uses.

I’d be keen to hear what those of you working on this challenge are thinking…

We’re keen to hear about new examples of your town or city’s history and heritage playing a part in efforts to make them the best they can be today.

The two feature in our list of potential go-to options for places looking to tackle #highstreet vacancy by taking on empty units which starts with arts & crafts and ends at health & wellbeing…

…and we’re seeing reflections of our places past feature in other town and city centre regen and vitality projects and initiatives too.

Options might include…

• Opening a mini-museum to focus on part of your history. It doesn’t need be a full-scale museum, it could focus on just one era or story even;
• Creating a new archive centre;
• Hosting an exhibition or display of old photographs in an empty shop or maybe just in its windows. Images of your #retail and #hospitality businesses in days gone by are always popular;
• Using a town centre space for workshops or classes on an historical theme, maybe with an arts & crafts element;

And beyond the vacant units conversation it can help with…

• New sculpture or art installations featuring famous residents past or their stories;
• Murals, mosaics, street and shutter art;
• A new history or heritage-focused event.

What am I missing…?

It’d be great to hear how you are making use of place history and heritage today…?

“Expanding brands target 2025 openings”

Continuing our mini-series on headlines you’ll not see, we tracked back on the brand requirement lists of target locations we’ve shared with local tackling #highstreet vacancy teams around the country already this year.

These are just a sample of those we’ve seen posted here by commercial property agents and acquisition directors. There’ll be others and if you have sent one out, please add to the list.

Gail’s, Yours Clothing, Cornish Bakery, Insomnia Cookies, Cards Direct, Savers, Amber Taverns, Ground Bakery, Majestic, Brook Tavener.

These 10 are just part of a longer list of #retail and #hospitality businesses with expansion plans reported in the industry press. To that you can add independents who’ll take on units without making it into the nationals, and those from the arts & crafts, creative to health & wellbeing list which are increasingly part of the mix.

Following up these requirements lists to see if you can secure one of the new stores or venues is an important part of the role of the proactive ‘place partnership’ we believe every town and city centre should have, and so a crucial element of the #HighStreetPositives narrative.

Would love to see others if I’ve missed them…!

First signs of Spring in your town or city centre…?

If you’re still togged up in gloves, scarf and woolly hat and think I may be losing it, bear with…

I ask because tho this is typically the time of year when #highstreet businesses planning an exit will do that having stayed in for Christmas / New Year (and as ever we are seeing some of that)…

…we’re also nearing the start of the lettings season when, with the first main calendar milestone of the year – Easter – ahead, would-be new occupants often step up the pace.

So I’m interested to see what’s happening on the ground. Are there units going under offer, Heads of Terms being exchanged, viewings taking place.

Maybe long time development / refurb projects are taking a step forward or planned new openings are on.

It’d be great to hear what #property and #placemaking colleagues are seeing locally.

In town centres we’re working, there are certainly positive agent, landlord, new tenant and keen interest updates around – including from community organisations we’re exploring opportunities with alongside #retail and #hospitality options.

Do let us know…

Who are you talking to as potential new tenants for the empty units in your town or city centre…?

I really hope that if you’re one of the potential lead organisations – a council, BID or chamber – you are at least on the tackling #highstreet vacancy case.

All our experience stretching back to 2013 now is that where agents, landlords, businesses, community, cultural organisations, council(s), chamber, BID where there is one and others identified locally work together on this you can make a difference to the number of empty units and mix of uses you have, and do so more quickly and sustainably.

In some places the main focus of that work will be attracting #retail, #hospitality and services.

But where your vacancy rate is mid / high teens or even over 20%, the approach might be more focused on arts & crafts, creative, culture, community, history & heritage, leisure, education, health and health & wellbeing as possible new tenants.

That’s been the focus of our work in a number of places in recent weeks, and it’s cheering to find the interest and enthusiasm for playing a part, the buzz you get when leaders of these organisations realise that it’s now a practical possibility for them and that help and support is available.

So to end by answering the question I posed at the outset: do go talk to that full range of potential use types, and work as a ‘place partnership’ to help them secure units. As you do, your town or city centre will see vacancy reduced – maybe halving the rate in 18 months or better – and be more varied and vibrant, so more attractive and resilient.

It’d be great to hear from #property colleagues and places that are along the road already…

Let’s step up our efforts to get former banks in town and city centres back into use.

With another tranche of closures having just been announced there are now more and more places with this as a challenge, and it’s not easy.

These are often large, high-rent units;

Their layout and sometimes frontage / windows rarely suit other uses without major works;

Many are in heritage buildings so have extra challenges around repurposing;

It’s not unusual for the bank to leave with time left in their lease so you’re looking at an assignment – known to be the trickiest kind of agreement to reach.

The good news is that there are #retail and especially #hospitality brands that are keen on this type of unit and are getting good at the conversion.

There are also a number of councils with grant funding schemes to help tackle the kind of issues you get in situations like this.

So is your place on the case…?

Are you talking to agents, landlords and the bank, if it’s still involved, about options;

Have your planners done some pre-work to make things easier for would-be tenants on the barriers and any conditions they’d ask;

Are you looking at arts & crafts, creative, culture, community, history & heritage, leisure, education, health and health & wellbeing as possible occupiers;

Is a split possible, maybe separating off the upper floors if it has them;

Might #popupshop / ‘meanwhile… use’ be a way forward…?

We’re really keen to share learning on this very significant #highstreet challenge, and would love to hear case studies too…