Time to unveil our emerging set of guides and briefing notes on and around the challenge of tackling vacancy…
They draw on projects and initiatives we’ve been involved with or seen, and our work with place leaders and managers in the 43 locations we’ve taken #TheVacantShopsAcademy so far.
The rationale for writing and sharing them is two fold: firstly, we’re trying to shift the thinking about #highstreet vacancy from being an issue caused by factors outside our control that we’re stuck with, to one that we know how to tackle (as a variety of places are doing, successfully).
It’s also about inspiring those who think getting empty units let again is “just an agent-landlord thing” to understand that the whole place – agents, landlords yes, but businesses, community, cultural organisations, councils, chambers, BID where there is one, too – working together, gets this done quicker and more sustainably.
So. If you are a local council or BID leader who’s planning to:
- start work on tackling vacancy and improving the mix of uses types in your town or city centre;
be one of the places that’s really benefitted from having health & wellbeing services on the highstreet;
- make more of a chance to encourage arts & crafts, creative, culture or community businesses, groups and organisations to take on vacant units;
ensure that empty properties look the best they can while work continues to get them let;
- improve the ‘look’ of your location as a whole because of all that can do to help attract residents, visitors, new occupiers and investors and extend dwell time…
We’ve a guide or briefing note for each of these, so please ask for a copy of whichever fits your priorities…
