In many city centres, huge amounts of property are held by pension funds, “investment portfolios” and “property holding groups” etc.
In their heyday, some of these shop units would be rented out for £20,000 a year. However, they’re no longer worth that.
If they are rented out for something like £4,000 a year (or lower), they would definitely be used - there’s plenty of tiny businesses, out of place shops that want a better location etc.
Unfortunately, from the vampiric property holding company’s perspective, if they rent the unit out at £4,000 a year, it’s only a £4,000 a year “asset” in their “property holding portfolio”.
If they keep the rent at £20,000 and nobody rents it, it’s still “worth £20,000” theoretically as an asset - and this imaginary money can be borrowed against, invested etc - so they can turn imaginary money into more imaginary money, and we have derelict shops.
Some politicians are scared of taking this on, because if done quickly, the bubble of “imaginary rent asset value” may cause another financial crash, or collapse of pension funds.
Anyway, really these places need a “if it’s left empty for 6 months” compulsory purchase order of the building for a very low price. There’s plenty of small businesses, community projects etc that are desperate for spaces at reasonable prices.
Anyway, this doesn’t cover every dead high street, but it’s certainly a lot of them.
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Have places in town that people want to go to, for things they can’t get online.
I don’t want a TV shop in town, how the fuck do I get a TV home anyway? Carry my new TV through the high street? I might want to see a few TVs in a large store outside town, but TBH all TVs now are a thin black rectangle and some software. So I can research the software online.
I want a good cafe, different types of pub, arcade cabinets. Experiences that I can’t get in my living room. Sitting areas and third spaces as you’ve said. Libraries holding talks/conferences. Local bands, during the day.
Make me want to be in town, don’t tell me I have to “save the highstreet” while bemoaning the shops I don’t want to go into are failing.
Tax Amazon in some way, and zoning laws to encourage walkable development
I don’t want to encourage people to drive, but free parking would help. Or the first hour is free or something.
My one issue with free parking is when it’s in a small town with a single “high street” and the parking is on that street.
Granted it’s not possible everywhere, but having free parking off the high street in car parks around it, for me, is the best approach. Then aim to either restrict parking or pedestrianise the street entirely.
Free bus fares for residents.
Ugh, Bhs. I was there in the end days. Philip Greed would come every now and then. Our tills were held together by rubber bands, staff were using security pins to replace the broken arm ends, and Greed would look around, say “there’s some dust in the corner, clear it up,” and stroll on. He wouldn’t even talk to the staff directly, according to my colleague. He would whisper to a manager and they’d say it.
Chappell came in once after we’d gone into administration, so he had nothing to do with the business anymore and all the managers flocked around him. I was like, why are you fawning over him, he helped wreck the business and he’s not even your boss anymore.
That place deserved to die, yet it didn’t even have to be that way. Having worked in retail for 15 years, it’s obvious head offices have no freaking clue, but heaven forbid they pay attention to the frontline staff. They just chase pointless KPIs.
