14/04/2009 - Minister urges use of empty stores
It should be easier for local groups to take over empty shops in order to prevent recession-hit high streets turning into bleak ghost towns, according to the Government.
In a seminar of councils, business leaders, landlords and town centre managers, communities secretary Hazel Blears will say more unused stores should be utilised by communities as art galleries, cafes or advice centres.
Measures will include the speeding up of planning procedures, extra powers for local councils to intervene, and the introduction of standard short-term leases. The move will also be backed by £3 million in funding to subsidise innovative schemes.
"Town centres are the heartbeat of every community and businesses are the foundation so it is vital that they remain vibrant places for people to meet and shop throughout the downturn," she will say.
"Empty shops can be eyesores or crime magnets. Our ideas for reviving town centres will give communities the know how to temporarily transform vacant premises into something innovative for the community - a social enterprise, a showroom for local artists or an information centre - and stop the high street being boarded up."
Copyright © Press Association 2009
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