Landlords could be ‘forced to let out vacant high street shops’ under new plans

High streets will soon get a new lease of life under a new radical plan to revitalise high streets.

According to Mail, landlords will be forced to let out retail units that have been vacant for longer than six months under the government’s new plan, which is set to be introduced as part of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. The new plans will be announced in the Queen’s Speech next month, the report said.

The number of empty shops has soared since the pandemic with many that were shuttered during lockdowns failing to get back on their feet as the shift towards online shopping accelerated.

Across the country, one in seven shops is sitting empty according to latest figures from the British Retail Consortium with the north-east of England having the highest vacancy rate, with one in five closed.

Under the new plan, local authorities will be able to force landlords to rent out commercial property on high streets through a Compulsory Rental Auction, reports said.

After a short grace period for landlords to fill the shop, local authorities will be able to instigate an auction, inviting bids from interested parties. The plan is expected to  reduce the number of boarded-up shops while creating new opportunities for local small businesses and community groups and helping increase footfall and spending in town centres.

“The Government’s mission to level up will breathe new life into these great towns and end the scourge of boarded- up shops sucking the soul out of once-bustling high streets,” a government source told Mail.

Campaign group Save The High Street, which launched in 2015, also backed the plans, saying they will ‘turn the vacancy crisis into an opportunity for positive change’.

Wetherspoons chief executive Tim Martin welcomed the plan but called for further support for high streets, urging the government to address the tax imbalance between hospitality businesses and supermarkets.