A leading Birmingham business recovery specialist has urged council chiefs to get behind an innovative scheme designed to put life back into the city’s ailing high streets.
Sixteen per cent of shops in the West Midlands are empty – a figure that could easily be slashed, according to John Kelly, regional managing partner of business recovery experts Begbies Traynor in Birmingham city centre.
Mr Kelly has now penned a letter to Birmingham City Council leader Sir Albert Bore, urging him to back an idea that he believes could turn around the fortunes of the city’s high streets.
It would see short-term six-month leases available as standard on empty retail units, with interiors designed to accommodate a range of businesses – saving entrepreneurs the cost of expensive store re-fits.
Meanwhile, an off-the-shelf IT system would connect to a centralised stock and till system that could be used by all city retailers.
“We need the city to work with property landlord to completely re-think the way that shop units are marketed,” he said. “I am not saying that initiatives taken so far are not part of a solution, but more radical action is needed if we are to get new businesses to help us trade out of the recession.
“The council could do things like waive business rates or defer payments to a later time – once the business is profitable.
“We have to make it easier for the would-be retailer.
“Most people will not and cannot commit to long leases. They can’t afford expensive fit-out costs.
“We have some exceptional designers, architects and IT specialists that are capable of putting together a package designed to support these fledgling businesses.
“We need to re-think how the country meets the ambitions of its future entrepreneurs.
“All too many town and shopping centres are stuck in a time warp – which means that more radical thinking is needed to get life and vitality back into our high streets and shopping arcades.”
He acknowledged that the council and the city’s Business Improvement Districts had taken steps in a bid to tackle empty shops – including last December’s Unique in Birmingham campaign.
Run by BID Retail Birmingham, it called on colleges, universities, artists and organisations to design window displays to transform vacant shops in the city centre.
And from Monday, the same BID is holding a week-long series of events called Celebration of Independents in a bid to promote independent shops in the city centre.
But Mr Kelly said more needed to be done.
“Even some of the recent initiatives, designed to significantly improve the appearance and look of empty shops, is to be commended but they might be regarded as wallpapering over the problem,” he added.
“The council and businesses need to come together to make sure that we offer the conditions that the next generation of shop keepers really need.”
