Study finds Welsh city with highest number of boarded up shops in UK
Stephen Price
A newly published report has revealed that a Welsh city has once again topped the list for having the highest number of empty vacant shop units of any town or city in the UK.
The report published by Centre for Cities reveals Newport, along with Bradford and Blackpool, allegedly have ‘double’ the proportion of empty shops than in London.
Analysis has shown that the health of high streets across the United Kingdom has varied significantly, calling for authorities to focus on developing homes and high-paying jobs in central locations to increase local spending power.
‘Business Live’ shared: “A report from think-tank the Centre for Cities reveals a striking divide in the state of the UK’s high street, with city shop vacancy rates more than twice as high in Newport (highest of the 62 cities and towns assessed at 19%) and Bradford (17.6%) as the lowest in London (8.5%) followed by Cambridge (7.4%).”
While Sarah Butler from the Guardian writes: “Retailers have called for a cut in business rates, lower employment taxes and cheaper parking fees to help revive high streets.
“The report found that reforming the “flawed” business rates system was not enough to revive high streets in struggling local economies as many properties already do not pay rates.”
Report
A summary of the report from the Cenre for Cities, shares: “The performance of the Great British high street is seen as a political bellwether, creating a very visual symbol of the success of an area.
“It is for this reason that politicians have long taken a keen interest in them: the term ‘high street’ has been mentioned over 3,300 times in the House of Commons and House of Lords over the last five years.
“When reading research reports and newspaper articles you would be forgiven for thinking that the high street is suffering everywhere. While it has certainly come under pressure from the rise of out-of-town retail, and more recently online shopping, in some centres it is still performing well.
“The clearest examples of this are London and Cambridge, where around one in 10 shops in their city centres are empty. This is in sharp contrast to Newport and Bradford, where close to one in five shops are vacant.
“What drives these differences? This report uses millions of credit and debit card transactions to look at where spending comes from and what it is spent on in city centres.”
Andrew Carter, the chief executive of Centre for Cities, said: “Our research shows the high street isn’t failing everywhere. Where it is, the cause is not just cosmetic, it is economic. Policies relating to shopfronts, rents or parking miss the bigger picture.“City centres that struggle are oversupplied with shops and undersupplied with people.
“If local residents don’t have money to spend or a reason to be in the centre, high streets suffer – no matter what interventions are made.”
While Sarah Butler from the Guardian writes: “Struggling Newport, Blackpool and Sunderland also have a relatively high proportion of shops for the population compared with successful city centres such as Oxford, Brighton or Liverpool.”
Criticism
Newport Conservative Campaigner Michael Enea shared: “Newport first hit the headlines in 2018 for having the highest number of empty vacant shop units – just three years after the opening of Friars Walk.”
“In 2018, a City Centre Masterplan presented by Newport Council was lambasted for being just eight pages in length. More recently, a new City Centre Placemaking Plan was criticised for being loaded with cheap ‘quick wins’ and light on heavy investment.”
“Newport Council should invest its £10 million underspend from last year on regenerating Commercial Street North and the High Street.”
View the report in full here.
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Consolidate retail into a more compact area and regenerate outlying areas for residential use.
Far too obvious. Decision makers are locked into a “shops, shops, and more shops” mindset. Too many outlets selling the same old junk.
Shop rents are ridiculously high.
Labour leaders of Newport Council looking for their next political ladder to climb than resolving the deteriorating City Centre.
Most people these days prefer to shop ‘out of town’ where there is far less hassle, no beggars, free parking, etc.
Councils who allow massive retail parks to spring up on the outskirts of their towns then feign surprise at the fact that small shops are no longer attractive or viable are dishonest at best.
This is what happens when the business illiterate are elected, yes they allow retail parks to expand at the cost of the town centre, councils then believe they can magically resurrect city centre’s returning them to their hay days, we don’t need shops anymore we have an Amazon instead.
Retail parks have a place, you wouldn’t expect to buy a bathroom suite or six-foot fruit tree in the high street, the future of which is a place people will increasingly visit out of choice rather than necessity. Online shopping can deliver the necessities but it can’t deliver a pleasant afternoon browsing for gifts or dining with friends.
It is in no one’s interest to see fewer independent traders.
Amazon is virtually an American monopoly, also you cannot examine the product before purchase.
Visa and Mastercard are American companies controlling trade.
Too much economic power in the USA, which is no longer a democratic country.
Quickest way to reduce freedom of choice.
If you want City centres to be as they were you have to have a wholesale change of the system . The advantages for those operating without retail premises are significant, rents are still sky high for retail and other town centre operators failing to acknowledge the change whilst at the same time Councils have done their utmost to discourage customers via policies that may have seen sound in isolation but collectively have ensured customers now avoid Centres. Those who believe Amazon is the answer also make the mistake of mis understanding the necessity of shops still , you can’t… Read more »
The need for good public transport is a prime issue.
Newport was dead from the neck up when I escaped at the age of 21.
The neck up and down.
Does not help when former deputy leader who lost his seat at elections was then slotted in to Town Centre Manager job, after Council denying it for months.
Labour looking after their own.
https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/23955563.roger-jeavons-named-newport-city-centre-manager/
Arguably, the ship sailed as soon as out-of-town supermarkets became widespread. It’s no surprise that many towns which have thrived resisted the incursion of large supermarkets for many years (although they often started from a position of affluence e.g Cowbridge).
I suppose the argument would be, could struggling towns in the 80s/90s afford to turn down such investment offered by out of town retailers and supermarkets?
Out-of-town groceries also aligns with the “Strong Towns” argument of huge premises footprint equals a tax sinkhole, especially when corporations are best placed to practice tax evasion.