Westmorland and Furness Council is set to launch on Monday a consultation about new powers to carry out High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs) that allows councils to step in and auction leases on long-term vacant commercial properties.
The government aim with the handing of the new powers to councils is to get unused buildings back into productive use, bringing energy, enterprise, and footfall back to town centres.
Under the scheme, local authorities have the power to require landlords to rent out properties that have been continuously unoccupied for 12 months, or at least 366 non-continuous days within a 24-month period.
Landlords would also be obliged to pay to bring the premises up to a minimum standard, but may be able to access government grants in areas of high vacancy rates.
Failure to do so after negotiations with the council would result in a notice being served on the landlord before the council auctioning off the lease to a community-focused highest bidder for at least five years.
One risk identified in other areas already using the powers is that landlords bringing in “unsuitable occupiers prior to the notice being served” to effectively reset the clock preventing councils from using the powers and auctioning off leases for the properties.
Westmorland and Furness Council is proposing to designate four pilot areas for these new powers in Penrith, Barrow, Kendal and Ulverston due to current and historic vacancy rates.
Addresses in Penrith proposed as pilot areas for designation as High Street Rental Auction areas include:
· Angel Lane 2-3, 4-8, 11, 13-18
· Angel Square 1-16
· Bowling Green Lane 1-6
· Brewery Lane Blocks A, B, J, K, L, 1-15, 2-10
· Burrowgate 1-3, 9, 10, 11/11a, 19, 34, 36-40, 42, 45-51
· Castlegate 58-60
· Cornmarket 3-11, 20, 22-27, 29-30
· Devonshire Street 2-26, 29-30 Great Dockray 4-9, 31-39
· King Street 1, 3-7, 9-11, 14-24, 26, 28, 30-35, 37-53
· Little Dockray 1, 3-12, 14-15, 19-21, 25
· Market Square 4-7, 9-12, 16
· Middlegate 1-25, 28-30, 33-35, 37-45, 47
· Poets Walk 1-5, 2-14
· Princes Street 6-7, 9, 15-16
· Queen Street 1-2
· St. Andrew’s Churchyard 1, 3-4, 8-12
· St. Andrew’s Square 1-2
· St. Andrew’s View 1-1a, 31
The council is proposing the HSRA pilot that will test systems and approaches, and identify potential risks, challenges and opportunities prior to adopting HSRAs in further towns and villages where there are high streets with commercial/retail properties, alongside evidence or increased risk of long term vacancy.
Maps and addresses for the proposed pilot areas for designation can be viewed below:
Ulverston HSRA map and addresses
Penrith HSRA map and addresses
The council consultation opens on Monday 16th of February and closes on the 30th March as part of the consultation the council is seeking views on the areas proposed for designation, The potential benefits or concerns you see and how the council can best support property owners and local businesses, social enterprises, cultural groups and organisations who may want a presence on the high street. View consultation on High street Rental Auction
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