Broxtowe Borough Council to launch High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs) in Stapleford as one of eleven Early Adopters

Broxtowe Borough Council are one of eleven councils in England to lead on HSRAs, a new permissive power for local authorities to require landlords to rent out persistently vacant commercial properties to new tenants.

Premises selected for HSRA’s, must satisfy the ‘vacancy condition’ (unoccupied continuously for 12 months or for at least 366 days non-continuously within a 24-month period) and the ‘local benefit condition’ (occupation of the premises for a suitable high street use would be beneficial to the local economy, society or environment).

The HSRA process takes 22 to 24 weeks after community engagement and involves a notice period and auction period. Prior to that, today, Broxtowe Borough Council are making this announcement of our intentions to identify premises that satisfy the ‘vacancy condition’ within the Stapleford HSRA Designated Area shown. We will establish a Vacancy Register of those properties and enter into a 28-day minimum community engagement period, which begins today, after which we can start the HSRA process.

The Council is seeking comments regarding the Stapleford HSRA Designated Area. Comments can be submitted between 6 March 2025 and 3 April 2025. Comments can be made via email to economic.development@broxtowe.gov.uk or by post to Economic Development, Broxtowe Borough Council, Foster Avenue, Beeston, Nottinghamshire, NG9 1AB. Comments should specify whether the proposed area is supported or not and include the reasons why.

Leader of Broxtowe Borough Council and Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Asset Management, Councillor Milan Radulovic MBE, said, ‘I am pleased to announce that we are one of eleven councils leading the way on the High Street Rental Auctions initiative. The introduction of this scheme will allow Stapleford’s High Street to thrive, reducing the number of empty units that don’t offer anything to residents and visitors alike.’

Minister for Local Growth and Building Safety Alex Norris said:

“High Street Rental Auctions are a brilliant way for councils to bring shops and shoppers back to the high street, boosting trade, creating jobs and supporting our communities.

“I am delighted that eight more councils have become Early Adopters of these new powers, acting as leading lights for other local authorities.

“We are committed to growing the economy and improving opportunities for people across the country through our Plan for Change, and thriving high streets have a key role to play.

“That’s why we are backing the rollout of the powers with over £1m of funding on offer to help ensure our communities have the resources they need to realise their potential.”

Local authorities signed up as Early Adopters will be amongst the first to deliver HSRAs and will act as champions of the programme, to encourage greater take up of HSRAs by other local authorities. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will work closely with the Early Adopters group throughout the HSRA process, aiding progress at each stage and publicising achievements through post-implementation case studies.

As Broxtowe Borough Council is one of eleven Early Adopters of High Street Rental Auctions, information is limited at this time. The Stapleford HSRA webpage will be updated with further information when it becomes available.

The new High Street Rental Auction (HSRA) initiative is funded by UK Government.