Empty shop levels in northern England much higher than south, report finds

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/feb/04/empty-shop-levels-north-south-england-report

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Almost one in five shops in England’s northern towns and cities are empty, compared with just one in 10 in the south, a report has found.

The Local Data Company (LDC) research also revealed the rate of shop vacancies across the country stood at 13.3% at the end of last year, down from a February 2012 peak of 14.6%.

The worst-hit region is the north-east, with a shop vacancy rate of 18.8% in the second half of 2014, down 0.3% on a year ago. London had the best vacancy rate – 8.7% after a fall of 0.4%.

The report also found that 20% of all shops it tracked had been vacant for more than three years – totalling almost 10,000 outlets. LDC director Matthew Hopkinson said: “This is the equivalent of five Manchesters lying empty.”

The north-west had been the worst in terms of shop vacancies since 2008, but has now been edged out by the north-east.

Of the 10 worst town centres for vacant retail and leisure space, five are in the West Midlands, four in the north-west and one in the north-east.

The top three are Burslem in Staffordshire with a vacancy rate of 29.4%, Stoke-on-Trent with a vacancy of 27.7% and Hartlepool, with a vacancy rate of 27.3%.

Of the top 10 highest-occupied town centres, six are in Greater London and the southeast. The top three are Debden in Essex which boasts a 0% vacancy rate, as does Highgate in London, while Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire has a 0.9% rate.

Hopkinson said: “At a regional level the polarisation between the north and the south is as wide as ever with London’s vacancy rate being less than half that of the northern regions.”

Last month Tesco said it will close 43 stores and scrap the opening of 49 new outlets, while Morrisons said it will shut 10 as a response to losses incurred during the ongoing supermarket price war.

Hopkinson added: “While the numbers announced to date are small beer to the totals, the significance lies with the fact that whilst traditional shops have been closing it has been the supermarkets and convenience stores that have been expanding significantly which has kept the occupancy rates balanced.

“The question as to who will occupy these newly vacant stores as well as those, which have been empty for a while is a very difficult one to answer positively.”