The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) published, on 31 March 2023, a consultation on High Street Rental Auctions (HSRA). This is a new measure within the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill that will empower local authorities to address long-term vacant shops.
The Government recognise that a concentration of empty shops is a form of blight on high streets and in town centres, which can fuel a spiral of decline. Their ambition is to breathe life back into high streets and restore a sense of pride in where people live, work and meet.
The aim of High Street Rental Auctions will be to enable empty buildings, that have been empty for a year or longer, to be put to good use by local businesses or community groups.
DLUHC have engaged with a range of stakeholders across the commercial rental sector over the last year to help shape High Street Rental Auctions. They are consulting on further details to inform secondary legislation, including how the auction process will work.
The consultation covers:
- The auction process element of High Street Rental Auctions.
- The standardised lease (including agreement for leases and the lease itself).
- The costs of running a High Street Rental Auction.
- The disapplication of Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) within Energy Performance Certificate requirements.
- Permitted Development Rights.
The deadline for responses to DLUHC is 23 June 2023 and all responses must be completed on Citizen Space.
AREF plans to respond to this consultation and are keen to hear the views of our members on this. If you would like to feed into AREF's response please advise Jacqui Bungay, Policy Secretariat (jbungay@aref.org.uk).
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