The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) is calling on the government to address the rise in vacant retail properties on high streets and in local communities.
The ACS recently outlined support for the proposed restructuring of Empty Property Relief (EPR) as a measure to incentivise landlords to fill vacant properties on high streets.
The association aims to highlight the detrimental impact that empty properties have on communities and existing businesses, reducing footfall and the commercial vitality of these areas.
During the Spring Budget 2023, a consultation was launched to look into the scale of avoidance, evasion and poor rating agent behaviour in the business rates system and potential methods to tackle it.
In the submission, ACS has urged the government to expedite the Check, Challenge, Appeals (CCA) process for empty properties to ensure they are occupied more swiftly.
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ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “We welcome the measures that the Government has proposed to reduce the number of vacant properties on our high streets but there’s a need for deeper examination to understand the core reasons as to why these properties are vacant in the first place.
“Businesses, including local shops, face soaring operating costs continue to rise at an eye-watering rate and as a result, for many it has become almost impossible for them to continue trading and has deterred businesses from occupying new spaces,” he said.
The news comes as earlier this year, the ACS has warned that almost 7,000 convenience stores could be at risk of closure if the government doesn’t act on energy costs.
