Stroud MP Simon Opher has welcomed new powers that will help breathe life back into local high streets by tackling the problem of long-term empty shops.
Under the new High Street Rental Auctions scheme, councils will be able to auction short-term leases (from 1 to 5 years) on commercial properties that have stood vacant for more than a year. The move is designed to make it easier for local businesses, community groups, and social enterprises to take on unused premises — transforming them into vibrant spaces that support the local economy.
Dr Opher said: “In our area, we take real pride in supporting independent businesses and buying local. Whether you’re in Stonehouse, Dursley, Wotton, Berkeley, Nailsworth, or Stroud, there’s always a brilliant local business just around the corner. But too many of our high streets have been left with empty shops for far too long — and that’s not right.”
He pointed to the example of the former Peacocks store in Stroud, which has remained vacant since March 2022, as a clear case for change.
“High streets should be thriving, attractive places to open a business,” Dr Opher continued. “By empowering councils to step in where landlords have left properties empty, we can bring these spaces back into use and make our town centres flourish again.”
The new approach also ensures that the community remains at the heart of the process, with any new tenant required to meet a “local benefit” condition — meaning their business or activity must support the local economy, society, and environment.
Dr Opher added that revitalising high streets is not only good for business but also for the planet: “A more circular economy here in Stroud means people buying locally produced goods from local shops. It keeps money in our communities, cuts the carbon footprint of the goods we buy, and means we don’t have to travel far to find good quality produce.”
In addition to supporting the new legislation, Dr Opher plans to reach out directly to owners of long-vacant shops to explore how their spaces could be brought back into community use.
“From short-term projects like SGS College art students curating shop fronts, to longer-term community-led ventures — there’s so much potential to make these spaces creative, useful, and alive again,” he said.
“If we make it easier for people to shop locally and support small businesses, we’ll strengthen our local economy and help the environment at the same time. I want our high streets to reflect the very best of our community — not a row of empty shops owned by absentee landlords.”
