Although very much focussed on Harrogate, this message is really for all towns and cities. We need to do more, to breathe life back into the high street. As a country we are slowly banishing Covid but we must continue to build on the community strength that was fostered from it.
Our high streets are littered with property to let and for sale signs, which will undoubtedly impact footfall. Known for being a beautiful spa town, visitors to Harrogate not only expect to be welcomed by its natural beauty but also great food and a unique shopping experience.
Whilst the town does boast an incredibly vibrant food scene, independent boutique shops have slowly been driven out of the town centre. Now, the impact of Covid-19 has also forced big brand names leave.
Harrogate currently has upwards of £7.9million waiting in the wings for the Harrogate Gateway project – a plan to ‘regenerate Station Parade and cut carbon emissions and traffic congestion within the town’. If this goes ahead, what will people be coming into town for – is there enough to deliver a shopping experience that will encourage them to visit again? We need to address the foundations of the town first, or at least alongside the ‘Gateway’ project.
One of the biggest questions is, what is being done about all the empty shop windows? With many owned by larger firms, with no emotional attachment to Harrogate, there seems to be little to no enthusiasm to do anything about it. Appreciating that this comes down to shrewd business practices, can local council and or government provide any incentive to these commercial property owners to make their spaces available?
There is so much opportunity for these empty properties and surely they would be better in use rather than left dormant for months to come. For the short term, let’s get the windows ‘dressed’ with material from local artists, aspiring artists and students. This could be a beautiful opportunity to give a little back to the generations that have lost out. We should at the very least be able to help them showcase their talent. Supporting the younger generation further, these spaces, if opened up for use, could offer practical experience and the platform for them to develop their skills and put them on show.
The empty properties could offer small businesses huge opportunity as well. Whether the space be opened up for single use, multi-use or pop-up, whether it be for seven days a week or just at weekends, at least life will be breathed into the buildings.
Of course, we understand that there is so much more than just handing over the keys. Consideration needs to be given to business rates – the council would need to waiver these until permanent residents take on the property, operating rates – paid for by those taking the space, government funding, local investment – there is a way to meet this need and overall property management – who would be legally responsible. There are many other nuances and these need to be addressed by the professionals in this field that want to make a difference and help bring Harrogate back to life.
If action is not taken soon, Harrogate will loose even more of its charm, that it simply cannot afford to do. We need to give visitors to the town centre a memorable experience and one that they want to repeat. The town cannot rely on its hospitality business alone, it must offer more.
Many have suggested holding street markets and it is very likely that we will see some pop up in the next few months. It would be great if all those involved in these worked together to build something really special. Working collaboratively here will allow resources and skills to be pooled together, which will ultimately have a much bigger impact. An outdoor market/markets will help entice visitors into town but they will only be covering up their backdrop and the parade of empty shops.
As a community we all have the same goals – we want to see our town brought back to life. Let’s work together to do that. Please get in touch if you feel you can help, are already helping, have ideas – we would love to hear from you.