Crawley Borough Council is to receive more support in tackling the scourge of boarded up shops with a major expansion of powers to bring more long-term vacant properties into use.
Communities Secretary Steve Reed has announced a £10 million expansion to High Streets Rental Auctions (HSRA) to ensure more councils across England can take on the eyesores plaguing Britain’s streets.
Local authorities in England already have the power to auction off leases for commercial properties which have stood empty for a total of a year within a two year period, allowing empty properties to be filled by new tenants in a boost for local businesses and the high street.
This expansion builds on the Pride in Place programme which is backing local people to drive regeneration, with £20 million worth of investment for Bewbush and Ifield West.
The funding will bring hundreds more properties back into use, directly supporting refurbishment of the worst affected units and galvanising more councils to start using the powers to revitalise their high streets.
Peter Lamb, Labour MP for Crawley said:
“Town centres are the heart of local communities. With the switch to online retail, councils are having to work hard with local businesses and property owners to keep town centres alive and new powers, such as High Street Rental Auctions, are an important part in delivering the regeneration we all want to see.”
Communities Secretary, Steve Reed said:
“Our high streets are ecosystems – and vacant shops are bad for business.”