The Government is making £3m available to help areas hit hardest by the recession find creative ways to reduce the negative impact empty shops are having on the high street, announced Communities Secretary John Denham. Many high streets in areas of high deprivation are seeing empty shops boarded up because of the downturn, which is impacting on consumer and business confidence. The Government is determined to help ensure town centres remain vibrant places for people to meet and shop, and providing £3m to help 57 of the hardest hit areas find creative ways to use their empty shops and re-open them as facilities for communities. Each council will receive a grant of more than £50,000 to use as they see fit on ideas to boost town centres and transform empty shops into something useful such as a meeting place, a learning centre or a even a showroom for local artists.
The Government’s Looking after our town centres guide was welcomed by the Association of Town Centre Management for giving councils a host of tips and ideas for combating the effects of the downturn. It has already been downloaded over 9,000 times in only a few months. The guide sets out how councils can encourage activities like traditional retail and farmers markets, local festivals or other entertainments that can bring added attractions to communities and high streets during the downturn. The Government has already changed the planning rules to make it easier to use vacant shops for a range of other purposes.
Other measures include the promotion of special temporary community leases called ‘meanwhile uses’ that allow local groups to temporarily use a vacant property rent free while the landlord seeks a permanent new business. This means the landlord reduces his property bills costs and that the building is maintained. Funding was allocated to the bottom third most deprived local authority areas, based on the Index of Multiple Deprivation, and the highest vacancy rates.
