Government urged to turn empty shops into homes to benefit cities

The Government has been urged to transform empty shops into new homes by the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA).

By converting the vacant premises into residential accommodation, the NAEA argue that local authorities and developers could “revive” the UK town and city centres.

Peter Bolton King, chief executive of the NAEA, said: “Commercial property owners are facing high business rates for buildings that no-one occupies.
Therefore, in the right circumstances, converting these buildings for residential use could have an economic and aesthetic benefit.”

This view is backed by Timothy Denning, senior sales negotiator at Bonnett’s Estate Agents, who also added that by changing shops into houses or flats, there will be boost in Brighton’s housing stock.

He said: “The supply of housing in this area is an issue and turning long-term empty shops into homes will help.

“It will give a boost to an area and I think it will be better for the residents.

“They will no longer have to live next to empty shops that may be boarded up and covered in graffiti.”

Brighton and Hove City Council, who do not have a policy of converting vacant commercial properties, has said this is already taking place in the city.

A council spokesman said: “You just have to go through the normal procedure – there is no barrier and this already happens.

“We just judge each proposal on its own merits.”

It is hoped that, if this became widely adopted, the pressures to develop on green field sites around Brighton would decrease, much to the delight of the Countryside Trust, the Sussex branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

Penny Hudd, a trustee, said that this would be something “we’d love” and that the Countryside Trust would definitely support.

However, there are concerns from independent shopkeepers and residents that bricking-up shops to create new homes would severely damage communities and smaller businesses.

Hayley Hobdell, who owns the Pack of Cards shop on Arundel Road, believes that, while the empty shops next to her are hurting her business, transforming them into more flats of houses would be more detrimental.
She said: “We’re just losing everything and it will end up being so built up.

“There’s going to be so many people and not enough places for them to go to, which will give the supermarkets a big monopoly on everything and that will be to the detriment of people’s purchasing.”

Mrs Hobdell also fears that the community would suffer as more shopping parades are replaced by housing, stating that elderly people who rely on small, local shops would lose out.

Words: Mathew Beech