Take Back the High Street: One in 3 shops in Bolton are vacant as high streets face 'tipping point'

Bolton has been highlighted in the report by Power to Change, which supports the growth of community business in England.

Take Back the High Street: Why now is the time for a High Street Buyout Fund claims high streets are at tipping point – with almost one in five high street shops across the North West standing empty.

It reveals that Bolton has experienced a 57 per cent increase in vacancies since 2011, persistent vacancy rates, where a shop has been closed for more than three years, has shot up from 9.2 per cent to 16.8 per cent since 2017 – three times the national average.

Radcliffe Market Hall

And more than a third, 34.4 per cent of Bolton’s shops are vacant.

The report states that the high street needs a new vision and purpose and that ‘growing evidence shows that a community-led high street is the answer as the traditional town centre has been left vulnerable due to out-of-town retail; the rise of megastores and more recently a seismic shift towards online shopping.

Report authors believe that Radcliffe Market could provide the key to saving the high street – with the community taking ownership of the high street.

A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “This issue is not unique to Bolton as high streets across the country are facing the challenges posed by online shopping and shifting consumer behaviour.

“However, Bolton Council has been proactively addressing this issue through the development and implementation of our Town Centre Masterplan in 2017.

“It aims to attract £1bn of private investment to deliver the right mix of traditional retail, hospitality and entertainment venues.

“The work includes acquiring poor quality retail units for demolition, to facilitate new homes, offices and higher quality retail and hospitality.

“Demolition work has already been completed on a number of properties, including Deansgate.

“These projects are complemented by improvement works to public spaces and transport links to make Bolton a great place to live, work and visit.”

In 2018, a Community Benefit Society formed and took over the then struggling Radcliffe market hall, transforming it into a destination venue of a traditional market and food hall, alongside artisan makers, with a street food offer on Friday evening.

The ‘takeover’ was described as providing an economic boost to the area through employment and paying a real living wage, while supporting young people at schools and colleges as well budding entrepreneurs.

The report calls for a new £350 million High Street Buyout Fund – partly funded through Levelling Up monies - to help similar schemes to be realised in Bolton and elsewhere, where communities purchase assets on the high street.

Power for Changes believes the fund could transform hundreds of high street properties across the country.

Mark Robinson, property director and Chairman of High Streets Taskforce said: “Vacant properties owned by absentee landlords are the scourge of community, holding back the transformation of our high streets. These proposals will give community groups the power and means to take back control to make change happen.”

Nick Plumb, Power to Change’s high streets lead, said: “The evidence is clear, community ownership on the high street is essential to their survival and a High Street Buyout Fund will break down the barriers stopping local people getting a foothold on the high street property ladder. The nation’s high streets are at a perilous tipping point and if these much-loved community spaces are to survive, we need radical action now.”