Nearly a quarter of Northampton town centre shops are EMPTY...and experts warn things could get even worse

Nearly a quarter of Northampton town centre shops are now empty — and experts warn things are set to get even worse.

Government support which kept businesses afloat during the pandemic is running out while many are still struggling with lower footfall and facing loan repayments.

Studies by think tank Centre for Cities puts the town firmly in the top ten of a list of England and Wales' struggling high streets.

Figures compiled in June 2021 followed the closures of major stores Debenhams and Sainsbury and Tesco downsizing its Abington Street outlet.

According to data, Northampton has 24.5 percent of its retail space vacant following a 6.2 percent rise during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Newport, in South Wales, tops the list with one-third of its shops standing empty while Stoke, Sunderland, Bradford, Blackburn, Blackpool and Southend are all ahead of Northampton.

But the report warns that many less prosperous places in the North and Midlands face a wave of new business closures this year.

Andrew Carter, Chief Executive of Centre for Cities, said: “While the pandemic has been a tough time for all high streets it has levelled down our more prosperous cities and towns.

"Despite this, the strength of their wider local economies means they are well placed to recover quickly from the past two years.”

“The bigger concern is for economically weaker places – primarily in the North and Midlands.

"To help them avoid a wave of high street closures this year the Government must set out how it plans to increase peoples’ skills and pay to give them the income needed to sustain a thriving high street."

According to the Centre for Cities study, Northampton has been less impacted by the pandemic than most areas. Retailers in Central London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Cardiff all lost nearly a year's worth of takings while the figures was 12 weeks here.

But government support which shielded less prosperous areas is now being wound down leaving more businesses struggling.

One veteran market trader compared the town centre to Chernobyl last year.

Eamonn "Fitzy" Fitzpatrick hopes funding to reinvigorate the town will be spent "wisely" but added: "The town centre is dead. I've been here 58 years and I have never seen such a decline.

"I would re-pedestrianise Abington Street. Since the council did that, the whole town centre has gone dead. It's like Chernobyl."

West Northamnptonshire Council is due to start work later this year on an £8.4million project to revamp the Market Square, although that is not due to be finished for another two years.

Plans for the council-owned former M&S and BHS buildings in Abington Street trumpeted a year ago, using £25million from the government's Towns Fund appear to have stalled.

Next month's council Cabinet meeting is due to hear a report on the business case for redeveloping the site with several smaller retail units beneath flats.

Cabinet member for town centre regeneration, Cllr Lizzy Bowen, said: “The health, vitality and safety of our town centres is a priority, not least of all because it presents one of our most significant challenges.

"Footfall has been significantly below normal since the beginning of the pandemic and we are investing millions of pounds in the town centre as fast as we can to help with its resurgence when restrictions ease.

“As members of a wider partnership driving forward town centre regeneration, we have prioritised the Market Square and other public realm works which we think will help businesses thrive and will give residents a town centre we can all be proud of.”