Local councils have this month been granted new powers to breathe new life back into high streets and transform long-term empty shops through rental auctions, with Bournemouth among the first towns set to benefit.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council is one of the first Local Authorities to adopt the new ‘right to rent’ power in a bid to revive its struggling town centre and local high streets.
High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs) enable councils to tackle persistently vacant properties in town centres by putting the leases up for auction if private landlords allow properties to sit empty for 365 days in any 24-month period. If this happens, the council will try and resolve the situation with the landlord but if that does not happen, will be able to auction the vacant property off for rent with 1-5 year leases - enabling businesses and community groups to take on empty shops with affordable rents, providing more jobs for local people and boosting footfall to, and spending in, town and district centres.
Bournemouth West MP Jessica Toale MP has urged BCP Council to make full use of the new powers, which came into effect this month as part of the new government’s bid to breathe new life back into high streets. It is also investing £1m of funding to support the auction process.
She said: “Town centres across the country, including in Bournemouth, have been in decline for too long. The heart of our town should be a source of pride. While there are many reasons for optimism, all too often I hear from residents that Bournemouth is not what it used to be; there are too many empty shops and it doesn’t feel safe.
“There are countless properties in Bournemouth that are sitting empty and have potential to be great community assets and support local business. These new powers present a great opportunity to revitalise Bournemouth town centre and our local high streets and form part of this government’s absolute commitment to building back our communities.”
Jessica plans to meet with local landlords, business owners and Town Centre BID representatives in the new year to discuss the changes.
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