STOCKPORT has more vacant shop units than any other major town in the country, according to a new report.
A nationwide survey of retail vacancy rates by The Local Data Company found that Stockport was the town with the highest percentage of empty units (27.7%), while Blackpool has the second-highest rate (27.5%).
Overall, the North West is suffering from higher vacancy rates than any other region - at 16%, compared with just 11% in the south of England.
The survey, titled The good, The bad and the (very) ugly found that overall vacancy rates for shop units in 1,000 centres across the UK largely stabilised, but northern towns of all sizes continued to suffer.
In the list of vacancy rates for mid-sized towns, Blackburn has the fifth-highest vacancy rate (26.3%), while Barrow-in-Furness (25.4%), Altrincham (25.1%) and Wigan (24%) all feature in the top ten.
Four of the ten smallest towns with the highest vacancy rates are also based in the region - Runcorn (29.6%), Cheetham (28.3%), Middleton (25.5%) and Bootle (24.4%).
Matthew Hopkinson, director at the Local Data Company, said: “This report shows how fragile the British High Street is in parts of the country.
"The pressures it faces are increasing and therefore one needs to be realistic in one’s approach to each and every one of these towns if they are all to have a future. The stark reality is that Great Britain has too many shops in the wrong locations and of the wrong size."
Liz Peace, chief executive of the British Property Federation, said: “Many of high streets and town centres are in a critical, but stable condition. Their recovery is not just going to happen, but will need nursing. It will require investment from our sector, and the confidence that goes with a local authority that has leadership, a clear vision, and a willingness to plan and manage their retail environment.
"We must also accept that some secondary retail units are no longer viable and plan their transition to other uses. Simply hurting successful retailing to level the playing field is not the solution."
Stockport Council leader Cllr Dave Goddard disputed the Local Data Company's figures, which he said did not match its own and "give a misleading view of Stockport town centre".
“For anyone visiting the town centre over the last few days, it’s clear that it continues to be a vibrant and successful shopping area."
He said its Vintage Village market had been bringing in around 25,000 visitors every Sunday since last October and more than 40,000 people attended last Saturday's inaugural Stockport Festival. A new Primark has also brought in more visitors since opening on Tuesday.
“We are committed to an attractive and thriving town centre for Stockport and our overall plans include developing four distinct quarters including retail, office, housing and cultural.
"We have taken decisive action with the purchase of Grand Central to drive that development forward to create jobs and opportunities. We will continue with this proactive approach to secure the brightest future for the rest of the town centre.”
Here's an article from the M.E.N. based on this report:
http://menmedia.co.uk/stockportexpress/news/s/1458281_stockport-tops-ghost-town-league-with-1-in-4-shops-shut
