Telford and Wrekin high streets are on an upward curve
High streets across Telford and Wrekin are continuing to show green shoots of recovery in comparison with other areas across the region.
While some major towns and cities across Shropshire and the West Midlands report empty shop numbers higher than the national average, Telford and Wrekin is bucking that trend.
In Wellington, where there are 216 retail units which is the most in Telford and Wrekin, only 9% are standing empty which has fallen from 15% in 2018.
That figure is less than the 13% of empty units in Shrewsbury while in Wolverhampton more than a third of shops are empty according to The Power to Change group study.
In Newport, which has 190 units, only 4% remain empty while 2.5% of units are empty in Oakengates out of 123.
Ironbridge currently just has one empty retail unit out of 66 which shows the progress is being made as new businesses move into town centres across the borough or relaunch on the high street.
The study shows that 20% of properties on West Midlands high streets are empty, higher than the national average of 16%.
In Madeley 6.5% of units are currently empty while in Dawley 7% of the 56 units still need to be filled.
Businesses across Telford and Wrekin have been supported by Telford & Wrekin Council’s Pride in Our High Street programme which was launched in 2019.
During the last three years, a total of 145 grants have been awarded to help businesses set up on the high street.
The funding support, which totals £784,427, has created 262 jobs and only three businesses have closed their doors during that time, despite the pressures facing high streets and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The funding includes 45 start-up grants to help businesses set up on the high street in an empty retail unit and 27 start-up trial grants which give small businesses the opportunity to test out their venture on the high street as a market stall or in an empty retail unit for up to 12 months.
There are also a range of other grants which businesses can access through the programme including eco grants to help them become more eco friendly and a property façade grant to replace and improve shop frontages.
Councillor Lee Carter (Lab), Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services, Regeneration and the High Street, said: “It’s really pleasing to see the progress which is being made across our high streets which is reflected in these latest figures.
“New businesses continue to move into empty units across the borough and it shows the great strides we have made since the Pride in Our High Street programme was launched.
“The number of empty units in all our borough towns, as a proportion of the total number of units, is well below the national average and from the grants we have awarded to businesses the fact that only three have closed their doors in three years speaks volumes.”
Businesses which have filled empty retail units in the last three years across Telford and Wrekin include hairdressers, flower shops, butchers and cafes.
Lee added: “It shows that businesses are determined to bring something new to their high street and local people are responding by supporting them and choosing to shop local.”
You can find out more about the grants which support local businesses through the Pride in Our High Street programme here.
