Making Waves: More is needed to help Weston's empty shops

Focus is invariably on depleted high streets, still searching for a response to online and out-of-town shopping.

In Weston-super-Mare, for example, North Somerset Council has sunk an undisclosed chunk of a £20m local regeneration grant into refurbishing four empty shops in the main retail street and upgrading two units in the Sovereign Centre.

So far, one of the council-owned, renovated high-street shops has been let to a bakery, majoring in pasties.

But still no takers for the other premises.

Wanted: Agile entrepreneurs with the confidence and vision to inject new life and interest into what can seem the same old offering of fast fashion, phones, and vapes.

Weston continues to grow and is now nudging 100,000 residents, almost half the population of North Somerset.

Newcomers are attracted to the new-build developments springing up, and there are significant numbers of people moving in from expensive Bristol and further afield, including London.

There are potential customers who would spend their cash in attractive shops, providing a different experience with varied, quality merchandise, which would help revitalise a tired townscape.

Of course, money is tight, but retail doesn’t have to be all 'buy one get one free' or selling off bankruptcy stock.

Surely, there’s room for something better.

Not sure the many outlets catering for the lowest common denominator – including one that only takes cash (I wonder what that is about?) – are doing well.

Incidentally, why do we have to tolerate tuneless, amplified buskers who are an imposition and drown out efforts to raise the tone?

Some are good, but others resemble an out-of-tune attempt at care in the community.

Enough.

Shopkeepers, paying hefty business rates, get fed up when unlicensed, untalented 'singers' spoil their pitch.

The council has powers to stop this depressing din but takes no action.

More evidence of town hall inaction is the delay in implementing the government high street rental auctions scheme aimed at bringing long-term vacant commercial properties back into use.

Over a year ago, North Somerset was designated as one of only eight 'early adopters' of the nationwide initiative.

The scheme enables the council to auction off leases for privately-owned commercial properties that have been empty for more than a year, if the landlord has not taken sufficient steps to let the premises.

Landlords may blame high business rates and refuse to lower rents as this could affect the longer-term value of their property.

Council leaders complain the process is lengthy and requires additional staff and legal support, which are currently unfunded.

But the government backed the rollout of the new powers with more than £1m on offer to help ensure the necessary resources are funded.

Puzzling.

There’s no sense of urgency.

Does anyone have a rocket to point in the right direction?