Temporary ‘pop up’ shops are to be launched across Caerphilly County Borough in a bid to fill empty high street shops.
The launch of the new scheme by Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Town Centre Management team coincides with this week’s ‘Support Your High Street Week’ campaign.
A ‘pop up’ shop is where a short-term lease, usually for a period of less than six months, is agreed between a landlord and a business or community project, enabling them to use a vacant property for a short period of time.
Cllr Ken James, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning and Sustainable Development, said: “We’re obviously very keen to support local traders across Caerphilly county borough communities in any way we can, while working to reduce the number of vacant properties on our high streets.
“Pop up shops can be an excellent opportunity to try out a new business and see if the concept works before making a long term commitment. They can potentially also offer community projects and charitable organisations a great way to reach a wide audience, while also helping to enhance the vibrancy and offering on our county borough’s high streets”.
Caerphilly County Borough Council has an online Retail Property Directory, which contains a full list of vacant shop units in Caerphilly, Blackwood, Bargoed, Risca and Ystrad Mynach town centres.
The directory also gives contact details for the marketing agents of each property, together with photos of each of the vacant units.
The Retail Property Directory can be found at www.caerphillybusiness.info. For further information or advice on setting up a ‘pop up’ shop, please contact the council’s Town Centre Management team on 01443 866213 or email retail@caerphilly.gov.uk
For business support, funding and independent advice for a new business, please contact the Business Enterprise Support team on 01443 866 222 or email business@caerphilly.gov.uk
A worthy innitiative but one which cannot address one of the major problems over which the council has no control, business rates. If the Welsh Assembly, to which this tax goes, was willing to drasticallly reduce these rates for new shops it would give prospective shop owners an even better start than this scheme.
Retail businesses, especially new ones, regularly close in Caerffili and shop owners always cite two factors which prevent their business from being viable, high rents and business rates.
I don’t think that’s the largest problem. A quick look at two different environments reveal the problem.
Town Centre:
Run down, weather dependent, chaotic, cars everywhere, outside, dangerous for small children not under full supervision, limited parking, expensive parking, and a limited range of shops.
St David’s Shopping Centre:
Modern, clean, indoors so not weather dependent, safe to walk around with no chance of being knocked over, children can safely walk around, plenty of indoor parking, parking slightly cheaper for a full day, and every possible shop imaginable connected.
Why would anyone even want to go to the high street?