Here People and Places’ delivery partners Flashop UK Ltd share news of their successful track record of working in Oxfordshire towns to tackle the issue of empty shops.
Banbury
As part of a wider part time town centre vitality project funded by Cherwell District, Flashop UK worked with landlords and agents of empty units to help overcome barriers to their being let. This involved:
- Running pop-up shop projects in 3 different units and helping establish businesses that have gone on to longer-term stays in the town.
- Running a window display project in a ‘long-term empty’ with a calendar of independent business and community groups.
- Sourcing investment to carry out work needed on upper floors to enhance affordability of the ground floor space.
- Supporting the empty shops focus and other ‘town team’ work via social and traditional media.
Through this help, Banbury town centre has seen the number of empties fall from 53 (11.25%) in April 2014 to 35 (7%) at the latest audit in November 16. Lettings include 2 units that have previously been classified as “never likely to be re-occupied”. This is a period in which the national average has changed little and during which Banbury has seen the large and high profile out-of-town Gateway retail park open.
This empty shops work has been a key part of Banbury’s 2016 GBHighSt Award submission which has seen the town named as a finalist in the Town Centre category.
Wallingford
A part-time commission from Wallingford Town Council and supported by South Oxfordshire District Council, focused on empty shops in the town centre in 2015 and 2016. The work led by Flashop UK involved:
- Running pop -up shop projects in 2 different units and brokering connections between tenants and landlords in 2 others that helped to establish businesses that have gone on to longer-term stays in the town.
- Working with landlords and agents of empty units in the town to help overcome barriers to their being let.
- Supporting the empty shops focus and other ‘town team’ work via social and traditional media.
Wallingford has seen the number of empties fall from 16 (11%) in January 2015 to a normal “churn” level in September 2016. This includes 2 units that have been empty for 3 years or longer.
Wantage
As part of a wider town centre ‘town team’ project funded by the Vale of White Horse District Council, launched in April 13 and working with Wantage Market Town co-ordinator, Mim Norvell, Flashop UK have helped in:
- Working with landlords and agents of empty units in the town to help overcome barriers to their being let.
- Running 2 pop up shop projects, helping to establish businesses that have gone on to longer-term stays.
- Helping establish a community space in one long-term empty and broker a rent-free period to cover the cost of a tenant-funded refurbishment of another. This was part of the revitalisation of a street that had 9 of the town’s 23 April 13 empty units, and no shops at all!
- Running a number of shop window display projects in what were thought likely to be long-term empty units.
Wantage saw the number of empties fall from 23 (12.5%) in April 2013 to only 3 in November 2014 and remains at churn level to-date. This includes at least 2 units that have been empty for 3 years or longer. The empty shops focus and the establishment of the community space played a part in a submission which saw Wantage win the Town Centre category in the 2014 GBHighSt Awards.
More details.
Read more about Flashop UK’s approach to tackling empty shops.
Find out about other town centre Top Tips
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