Thrilled to say that 3 more organisations (with 11 #highstreet locations in-scope between them) have signed to run the ‘audit, engage’ elements of #TheVacantShopsAcademy approach to tackling empty shops issues.

It’s really good to have new places keen to understand the back story of their vacant units and the barriers to getting them let as a first step to exploring how the place (in these cases a council or BID) can work with agents, landlords, businesses and their communities to reduce this key metric and improve the mix of uses in neighbourhood, town or city centres.

I’m very much looking forward to helping develop the ‘encourage, promote’ strategies that can take them all forward, including examining the role alternative uses like arts & crafts, creative, culture, community, education, health & wellbeing might play alongside #retail, #hospitality and services.

Here’s to the exciting months ahead…!

Another week, one more list of incoming #highstreet finance sector closures.

Another town, and more conversations about the role the place could play in getting ex- #retail bank or building society units back into use.

It’s a regular recommendation in our #TheVacantShopsAcademy ‘next step’ reports to places we’re working with on tackling empty shops issues commissions: to focus on those already left vacant by departing banks, and others that might be on future lists.

The challenge is that they can be difficult ones to re-let. Often heritage buildings, usually with windows that aren’t ideal for shop displays; layout and facilities inside that need re-formatting, and a landlord that’s got used to high rent levels, but little or no demand from the financial sector to replace like-for-like, sometimes with a lease still in play meaning we’ve the always-tricky assignment process to go thru.

The good news is that there are businesses out there among fast-expanding groups that can be interested in these units.

But otherwise it’s a task the place can help with: could planning and conservation colleagues take a look and set out and promote for would-be occupiers an advisory on what’s required and possible on repurposing. Splitting off upper floors, creating new access, dividing the ground, maybe…?

And can the council or BID, where there is one, try generate interest, maybe from arts & crafts, culture, creative, community, education, health & wellbeing in taking on these spaces, maybe as ‘meanwhile…use’ to start with or by offering grant funding to support refit costs.

If we don’t, they’ll likely sit empty for longer than average. It’s surely worth a try…?

Really enjoyed being out & about in Henley again.

Just so much to see and learn and think about from a #highstreet #placemaking perspective, and always very well worth a visit…

• Stunning riverside scenes, and a significant draw for rowing, regatta, relaxing, running a business;
• History, heritage and a wealth of stories street by street;
• A strong and varied, changing #retail, #hospitality and services offer;

…and some intriguing #property opportunities, the kind that maybe illustrate #TheVacantShopsAcademy case for the place – councils, existing businesses and community – to play its part alongside agents and landlords in getting them back into use.

An attractive, historic, resident, visitor, shopping, leisure, market town…

Oxford City Council has issued 93 licences to hospitality businesses, an almost ten-fold increase from the previous year.

The number of vacant units in Oxford city centre looks set for a significant fall according to new figures from Oxford City Council. Continue reading →

Business and organisations from across Oxford are working with the City Council on an initiative to bring empty units back into use more quickly. Continue reading →

The festive windows at Books & Ink Bookshop in Banbury town centre’s White Lion Walk are a Winter Challenge Winner! Banbury’s Business Improvement District (BID) invited the Mayor of Banbury, Cllr Shaida Hussain, to judge the festive window dressing skills of town centre businesses, both national and independent. Continue reading →

Banbury Business Improvement District (BID) has taken over three empty windows in the town centre as part of its work to improve the look of vacant units while efforts continue to get them let. Continue reading →

In June 2018 we began to scope the possibility of an alternative way to deliver the best of the #townteam model of support for town centres.

The aim is to try build a model that would work for town centres that have never had a #townteam or town partnership or #BID, or had one but don’t now. Continue reading →

A follow on to our town team submission to #GrimseyReview2 on the two elements of what we call #MoreThanRetail: using vacant town centre ‘shop’ space creatively and building skills and interest in the community. Continue reading →