New powers aimed at reviving high streets

COUNCIL CAN TARGET LANDLORDS TO RENT OUT VACANT SHOPS

- By JOE LOCKER Local democracy reporter

Recent data from the council shows Sutton town centre has a vacancy rate of 13.2 percent

BUSINESS owners in an Ashfield town say they are not convinced that new council powers to get landlords to rent out long-vacant high street shops will be successful.

A Government initiative has given local councils the power to take action against landlords who have not taken sufficient steps to rent out a high street property by auctioning off leases on premises that have been vacant for more than a year.

Ashfield District Council formally adopted the new powers at a meeting on Monday.

Cllr Matt Relf (Ash Ind), executive lead for growth, regeneration and local planning, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “If there is a property that has been vacant for a long time, it will be put up on auction for a new tenant, and they can bid for however much they can afford.

“Then the [winning] tenant will move in regardless of if the landlord thinks it is too cheap or not, because retail is challenging at the moment.”