Plans to restore empty high street buildings and breathe new life into Leigh town centre
A project to breathe new life into vacant units in a Wigan borough town centre has taken an exciting step forward.
A public consultation will be launched by Wigan Council about designating a High Street Rental Auction (HSRA) zone in Leigh, aiming to bring long-term vacant properties back into use.
Council leader David Molyneux said: “High Street Rental Auctions zones are a great way to re-engage with landlords of long-term empty buildings and make our town centres thrive.
“The council recognises the impact that empty buildings have on the high street, and the HSRA represents an exciting opportunity to take action on vacant units and breathe new life into Leigh town centre.”
Following new legislation that came into force last December, HSRAs can be used to encourage building owners to re-engage with prospective tenants and bring properties back into use.
However, if a landlord fails to engage or there is little co-operation with the local authority, an HSRA auction can be progressed to match an eligible premises with a business, community, or residential tenant.
As long-term empty units have damaged footfall and vitality of Leigh town centre, the initiative is hoped to revitalise the high street and make more premises available for occupation.
The scheme hopes to complement the wider £11.4m Levelling Up project for Leigh, which plans to revamp Civic Square, refurbish Leigh Market, and use a building grant scheme to repair and improve high street shop fronts.
The HSRA zone location is proposed to be along all of Bradshawgate, as well as parts of Market Street, Lord Street, and Railway Road, with a 28-day public consultation will be launched on Monday October 6.