Businesses and neighbours have praised a government proposal to make landlords rent out empty shops. Part of the Government's Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill would give local councils the ability to force landlords to rent out unoccupied shops.
According to the Government, new compulsory rental auctions would ensure that landlords auction shops which have been vacant for more than a year to prospective tenants. An announcement on the Bill highlighted the hope it would stop high street shops staying empty for years, "blighting the high street and wasting opportunities for new jobs".
Mehmet Balanur, 46, a cashier at 24 Express in Mansfield Road, Nottingham, said he hoped any future scheme would help the road capture its 'vibrancy' after shop closures. "There are a few shops down here that are empty and look tired. It used to be very vibrant 10 or 15 years ago, with more shops and restaurants." Mr Balanur.
