Shop upper floors returned to residential use could help revive high streets

Builders want to see more empty properties brought back into use for housing, writes Chris Mccall

More than 90 per cent of MPS think converting empty spaces above shops could help reverse the current housing shortage, industry research has found.

The survey, commissioned by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), follows a growing movement in recent years to bring empty properties back into use.

A separate poll published in August by the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership (SEHP) found only 20 per cent of people think councils have got to grips with the number of derelict properties in their area.

The FMB estimates that as many as 300,000 to 400,000 new homes could be created by making use of empty spaces above shops on UK high streets.

Gordon Nelson, director of FMB Scotland, said: “This is space just waiting to be turned into residential accommodation. The fact that 90 per cent of UK MPS of all parties recognise the potential of our existing buildings to help solve the housing crisis means we need to be more imaginative if we are going to build the 25,000 homes a year that we are aiming for in Scotland.”

The FMB survey was based on responses from 51 MPS of all parties and regions of the UK, with the results weighted to reflect current party composition in the House of Commons.

He continued: “Councils in Scotland need to be more proactive in incorporating the conversion of spaces above shops and vacant retail space into their local plans. Not only will this free up space within our existing buildings for much-needed homes but it will also revitalise our town centres. Projects such as these are certainly not without their challenges and our research identifies various barriers including disparate ownership, parking and access to the building that the council would need to address. Having said all that, retail-to-residential conversions could be the key to unlocking new homes and strengthening our communities.

“Over the past decade, as consumer habits have changed with the rise of online shopping, high streets are struggling to remain relevant. There will always be a place for vibrant high streets within our market towns but if not all of this space can be used for commercial reasons.”

0 Flats above shops are often empty