“The 39 stops…”

🎥 …to borrow and adjust an old movie title.

That’s how many places we visited with #TheVacantShopsAcademy in 2023, racking up what our app reckons is a decent CO2 saving.

🤔 Where next…?

The majority of those visits were on tackling #highstreet empty shops issues commissions, plus others to catch up with #property & #placemaking colleagues, and see some new locations.

Learned a huge amount, met brilliant people, saw a lot of great projects & positive developments; ‘audit, engage’ covered no shortage of new #retail, #hospitality and alternative uses openings, and we’re on to supporting a number of places to introduce priorities from our ‘next steps’ suggestions.

🤳🏽 Now planning the first trips of 2024 with Sunderland, Rugby, Tredegar and Leeds (for the “Invigorating the Community” event with Stuart Fearn MBE) among them.

Really exciting conversations also this week with a number of place leaders and managers about vacancy challenges in their town or city centre, so hopefully…! 🤞🤞🤞