New funding will revitalise high streets with empty shops hit by the recession

The government has announced further funding to support towns hit badly by the recession. Fifty towns will receive grants of more than £50,000 to help develop projects in empty shops and revitalise their high streets.

In the south, Eastbourne, Hastings, Gosport, Havant, Porstmouth, Southampton, Gravesham, Medway, Shepway, Swale, Reading and Worthing will receive grants. Download the funding file here

'This is fantastic news at it allows our members to develop projects supporting innovation and creativity,' says Dan Thompson from the Empty Shops Network, 'driving a reinvention of the high street which is good for business and the community.'

Dan is author of the Empty Shops Workbook, written with support from the Meanwhile Project,which has also secured further funding.

'The Development Trusts Association welcomes the Government’s support for the next phase of the Meanwhile Project. This project helps people to act now rather than watch our town centres and neighbourhoods decline while we wait for recovery.

'Assets exist in time as well as space - an empty building or delayed site development is social and economic value lost. We cannot afford to let such resources go to waste any longer,' says the Development Trusts Association's Jess Steele 'Working in partnership with councils and town centre managers, owners and agents, community groups and creative projects across the country, we can begin to reinvent the high street and make ‘meanwhile use’ a mainstream part of the way we do business.'

The grants are helping councils find new uses for vacant premises. Each council receives a £52,000 grant to use as they see fit such as a showroom for local artists, a nativity scene or other ideas to spruce up the high street. Government is also making it easier for local residents and organisations to use empty shops with a standardised lease for temporary use while vacant.

In Nottingham, the council has used their empty shops grant to cover a property in an advent calendar. Launched on December 1st each day a new piece of children's art is opened up. In the New Year it will be transformed to attract new audiences into the city centre at night time.

Harlow have used the grant to help give the town centre a deep clean, allow free parking on late night Thursdays, relaunch the market, install Christmas lights and have street entertainment as part of their Christmas campaign to attract local and neighbouring residents. Their 'Sculpture Town' project will fit out empty shops as studios for local artists.

Leicester is using its grant to create awareness of local events taking place over Christmas in its most prominent empty shops. After Christmas artists will show their artwork around the city. They are also planning a theatre, an advice centre for the elderly and a community information point.

Businesses are already setting up this sort of temporary shops, encouraged by Government. HMV has opened 10 temporary shops, Harvey Nichols has a food and wine 'pop up' shop in Manchester's Trafford Centre and a temporary Regent Street store is selling Marmite products. Many big businesses began this way. Neal's Yard Remedies opened in a disused warehouse in 1981.