Corbyn: Let start-ups take over vacant shops

VaCaNT high street shops should be given to start-ups and community projects to reverse a ‘retail apocalypse’ and stop the town centres becoming ghost streets, Jeremy Corbyn will say today.

The Labour leader wants councils to be given the power to reopen abandoned shops which have been vacant for 12 months or more.

On a visit to Bolton, Mr Corbyn will say the proposals would rejuvenate ‘struggling’ high streets south of the Border by bringing back into use some of the estimated 29,000 retail units which have been abandoned for over a year.

Under Labour’s plan, local authorities will be able to turn vacant shops over to start-ups, cooperative businesses and community projects.

The party said this would help reverse the ‘economic decay’ of town centres.

Mr Corbyn will say: ‘Boarded up shops are a symptom of economic decay under the Conservatives and a sorry symbol of the malign neglect so many communities have suffered. Once thriving high streets are becoming ghost streets.

‘Labour has a radical plan to revive Britain’s struggling high streets by turning the blight of

‘He would wreck the economy’

empty shops into the heart of the high street, with thousands of new businesses and projects getting the chance to fulfil their potential.’

Labour local government spokesman andrew Gwynne said: ‘Under this Government, our high streets have suffered a retail apocalypse.

‘High street closures are at a historic high, leaving too many of our once thriving towns abandoned and awash with boarded up shop fronts. Labour will turn around the mess the Tories created and will give local authorities the power to make our high streets the pride of our communities that they once were.’

But Jake Berry, the Tory local growth minister, claimed: ‘Jeremy Corbyn would wreck the economy, tax small businesses and scare off the investment needed to help our high streets, meaning more boarded-up shops and fewer jobs.

‘We will deliver Brexit by October 31 so that we can get on with levelling up opportunities across our country and breathe new life into high streets and town centres.’