BARNSLEY Council has been named as one of the leading lights in a national scheme to inject new life into ailing high streets to rid them of long-term empty units.
The government’s High Street Rental Auctions (HSRA) initiative has seen ‘early adopters’ sign up including Barnsley, Broxtowe, Camden, Hillingdon, Lichfield, North Northamptonshire, North Somerset and Westminster councils.
It will allow town hall bosses to auction off the leases of premises that have been vacant for more than 365 days in a 24-month period, and grant local businesses and community groups the ‘right to rent’ empty commercial lots at market prices.
The leases available will be for one to five years, the government confirmed, in the hope of cutting vacancy rates and breathing new life into high streets.
To support the early adopting local authorities, more than £1m in funding has been made available and a new burdens payment of up to £5,000 is available to help with the initial implementation costs - such as those from the auction process.
Barnsley North MP Dan Jarvis told the Chronicle: “Barnsley town centre has been transformed by the amazing Glass Works redevelopment we’ve seen in recent years and there are now lots of excellent food, leisure and shopping facilities to enjoy.
“The HSRAs initiative is another great step towards restoring local pride in all our Barnsley high streets.
“It’ll mean we can tackle persistently vacant properties, attract new businesses and breathe new life into our high streets that are the beating heart of our communities.”
The number of empty shops and offices in Barnsley town centre is at its lowest figure since before the Covid-19 pandemic.
A Freedom of Information request, seen by the Chronicle, shows that the current vacancy rate for the town centre is 11 per cent.
This is the lowest this figure has been since quarter one of 2019 - prior to the pandemic and before the opening of the Glass Works.
Minister of State for Local Growth and Building Safety, Alex Norris, added: “We’re bringing shops and shoppers back to the high street, boosting trade, creating jobs, supporting our communities and driving local growth through our game-changing roll-out.
“I am delighted that councils have become early adopters of these new powers, acting as leading lights for other local authorities.
“We are committed to growing the economy and improving opportunities for people across the country - thriving high streets have a key role to play.”
Vacancy rates stood at 16 per cent for over a year in 2022 but has continuously dropped since then.
A new team - Barnsley Space Agency (BarSA) - was formed and staff have been working with property owners to fill empty premises.
Small Business Minister Gareth Thomas said: “We promised to lift the shutters on the country’s high streets and that’s exactly what’s happening across these local authorities today.
“We know that small businesses are the drivers of our economy, which is why we’re working hard to boost exports and tackle late payments, and HRSAs are another crucial tool to support firms, increase jobs and go for growth.”
