UK seaside town abandoned by businesses faces major high street change | UK | News
Scarborough hopes to revive empty businesses (Image: Getty)
A groundbreaking pilot scheme could force businesses in a North Yorkshire town to lease their empty buildings to boost economic vitality and improve the appearance of high streets.
The “problem of vacant and increasingly derelict properties” on high streets could be addressed by new powers that will allow local authorities to require landlords to let “permanently vacant commercial properties to new tenants such as local businesses or community groups.” If the pilot scheme in Scarborough is approved at next week’s meeting, preparatory work will begin immediately, with the high street lease auction process potentially starting in May. According to the council report, Scarborough recorded the highest town center vacancy rate in the borough at 18.6%, followed by Malton at 17.1%, while Whitby had a vacancy rate of just 7.6%. The council acknowledged that its previous approaches, including the provision of fully funded vinyl coverings for vacant sites, had failed.
READ MORE: The 143-year-old historical family company entered the liquidation process
READ MORE: Curtain manufacturer in England went bankrupt – 25 years have passed in the ‘oldest city’
The town has the highest retail vacancy rate at 18.6% (Image: Getty)
Properties that have been vacant for more than 12 months in the last two years will qualify if deemed suitable for high street use such as retail, offices, utilities, hospitality, leisure or light industrial.
The council stated that if properties are occupied, they must also be considered to be beneficial to the local economy, community or environment.
A document prepared ahead of North Yorkshire Council’s upcoming executive committee meeting states: “The state of Scarborough town centre, particularly Huntriss Row, where there is a concentration of vacant buildings, is increasingly being discussed with the Council.
“Given the lack of impact of previous initiatives, the limits of existing powers and the local imperative to address the problem, it is recommended that the council pilot the use of new high street rental auction (HSRA) powers to force landlords to rehabilitate vacant properties and secure new tenants,” they report. Newspaper Live.
The HSRA procedure requires approximately 22 to 24 weeks to complete. However, the powers are designed to encourage engagement with property owners to identify solutions for vacant units, with auctions considered a “last resort”.
“Where landlords and local authorities are both constructive and pragmatic, alternative options can be identified to bring properties back into use, eliminating the need for an on-street rental auction.”
In a document presented to council leaders last month, officials noted: “By removing the Brunswick Center from the calculations, [the rate for] “While Scarborough is still high, it will drop from 18.6% to 15.8%.”
Councils can apply for £5,223 per HSRA, and NYC has indicated it is seeking funding from the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The report submitted to the management states that “in the absence of the grant, all costs related to the repair of the property, up to the minimum rentable standard, will be borne by the landlord.”
