Our Union Street boss Bob Keiller has called for a rethink of business rates, warning current costs are halting city centre recovery.
Speaking to the P&J, he said high operating costs are discouraging traders from taking on permanent premises, with many instead opting for cheaper mobile outlets.
Keiller and his team have spent the past three years working to fill empty units on Union Street by offering incentives to new businesses and sprucing up the shops appearance.
Since the launch of Our Union Street, the team have managed to fill 40 units, but another 20 have become vacant over the same period.
“We need to keep going at a rate where we’re filling faster than they’re closing so we can reach a level where the empty shops are not dominant,” Bob explains.
He says that better business rates could play a key role in accelerating this progress.
He adds: “Making business viable now is tougher than ever because of all the cost increases – whether it’s in minimum wage, national insurance contribution, etc.
“We have seen unit owners offering much more attractive rents than they have in the past, which is encouraging.
“That way the cost of having a unit on Union Street is no longer dominated by rent, but by your business plan and your ability to generate a surplus".
Read the full story on the P&J website.