Calls for action over empty shops in Berwick town centre

A check carried out this week found that there are 22 empty units in Marygate alone plus six in West Street, three in Bridge Street, three in Hide Hill and Sandgate, two in Woolmarket, two in Golden Square and one in Church Street.

It has been a difficult year so far for the town centre, as the closure of both Home Bargains and Iceland were a huge blow to the high street.

National events have also played their part with M&Co announcing that all of its stores – including its branch in Berwick – were to close at Easter.

It has not been all doom and gloom, with the Berwick Chamber of Trade listing businesses that have opened in the town over recent months as follows – Amy Izat, Artoluso, Berwick Framing, Burgess Carpets & Beds, Corner Shop, Coxon & Coxon, Doll Kulture, Fieldhouse Gallery, George F White, Granny’s Keepsakes and Accessories, Hidden Gem, Interesting Books + Zines, Junk & Disorderly, Loop Emporium, LJS Aesthetics, Nannies Attic, Northern Edge Coffee (second outlet), ROJO Antiques, Trespass and Whin.

However, chairman Stephen Scott accepts that Berwick’s high street is facing a challenging time at the moment.

He said: “A lot of the empty units on Marygate are large and therefore unsuitable for small businesses. Some of the empty units need substantial investment and are currently not fit for occupation due to their condition.

“In recent months the problems have been exacerbated in Berwick – first by the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic downturn, which has affected all towns, but also by the opening of the Loaning Meadows Retail Park.

“But we accept that high streets including Berwick need to transition to something new and our efforts need to focus on speeding up this transition and forget about how it used to be.

“Berwick's independent businesses are thriving and we need support to ensure that continues. For example, business rates incentives are needed to help fill empty units. I'm aware that a business rates revaluation has recently occurred but this has just ‘tweaked around the edges’ rather than provide fundamental change.

“Berwick is in a conservation area. So the Government needs to encourage and enforce the county council to take firm action against landlords that do not maintain their buildings. Buildings that are not maintained cannot be let to tenants who want to run a thriving business.

“Hopefully there will be some more positive news in Marygate later this year. For example, the landlord of the former Home Bargains store is confident that it is likely that the premises will have a new tenant towards the end of the summer of 2023.”

Canon Alan Hughes, former Vicar of Berwick, counted the empty shops and revealed he did something similar in the mid-1990s. Although the number of empty shops was about the same as today, every shop on Marygate was occupied and trading.

He said: “Nothing will be served by complaining of how things once were, but by stimulating and supporting new initiatives.

“I was heartened to see one empty shop offering a rent holiday, to encourage a new venture, something I have begged for for years – owners offering rent holidays/reductions and Northumberland County Council giving business rate holidays.

“It takes a brave person to accept the risk of Marygate rent and rate costs without knowing if their business model will work.

“Intelligent initiatives will offer encouragement. Our niece, who had never run a business but wanted a career change, opened a florist shop three years ago, encouraged by a rent and rate holiday offer. Her business has thrived, she has opened a second one in another town and a third in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket.

“A win/win all round, premises owner, local authority, retailer and community.”