Welcome to our survey.
In summary, high street rental auctions are a new power brought in by the government. Some councils are taking up this new power and Rother District Council is considering its options. The council is in the early stages of investigating this new power and wants to hear from you before deciding on going any further.
There is more information on our website Rother.gov.uk - high street rental auctions
The ideal outcome of this new power is to reduce the number of empty commercial properties over time.
In this scheme, landlords keep ownership of their property. The council could require the landlord to offer the property for rent through an auction. Businesses and community groups could bid to rent the property. The council must select, as a legal requirement, a designated area or key streets where the powers can be used.
However, the process is slow and requires multiple steps to be carried out before going to auction. Buildings must have been empty for at least a year. Not every building is eligible. The government are paying a small contribution of just over £5,000 towards the auction process. Full costs are not covered by the government and the council is facing more budget cuts. Nationally, no council has completed a full auction yet so there is no established track record of overall costs and time or effectiveness.
The council is already working with its partners on different methods to maximise everyone's resources to support the town centre. Such as supporting events, public space protection orders and working with Bexhill Neighbourhood Board and Bexhill Town Council. Using this new legal power, if adopted, would be an additional tool in our toolbox.
What the council would like to know from you is...
- How strong is the support (or not) for adopting town centre rental auctions?
- Do you agree with the designated area outlined in our map?
- Any information that helps us decide whether or not the council should move forward and when might be the right time?