The West Midlands Combined Authority has launched a £10m programme intended to bring empty shops back into use and increase commercial activity across town and city centres in the region.
The High Streets and Growth Incubator will initially support several locations, although the combined authority has not yet announced which centres will receive money. It is working with local authorities and the West Midlands Growth Company on implementation.
The fund is targeted at the region’s high shop-vacancy rate and can be used for interventions including improving public spaces, staging events, establishing markets and street-food venues, and returning boarded-up commercial premises to active use.
West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said: “That’s what this £10m is for. It will bring boarded-up shops back into use, get new market stalls and street food venues onto our high streets, and back the businesses that give people a reason to visit, not just pass through.”
The funding comes from the region’s multi-year Integrated Settlement with central government and will sit alongside wider investment in housing, transport, regeneration, and economic development.
The programme is being announced alongside national measures giving councils stronger control over vape shops, betting premises, and adult gaming centres. The two policies address different parts of the same problem: councils may gain greater control over unwanted uses, but viable alternatives still require demand and investment.
Vacant town-centre property rarely has a single cause. Online retail, weaker footfall, changes in commuting, business rates, rents, property condition, energy costs, parking, transport, and the configuration of older buildings can all influence whether premises remain commercially attractive.
Bringing a unit back into use can therefore require more than finding a new tenant. Some properties need physical refurbishment, subdivision, a different planning use, improved accessibility, or investment in the surrounding public realm before they can support a sustainable business.
The mix of occupiers is also changing. Hospitality, leisure, services, independent retailers, residential uses, and small businesses increasingly sit alongside conventional shops in town centres that were once dominated by larger national chains.
The incubator is intended to complement regeneration schemes in Coventry, Wolverhampton, Solihull, and other parts of the region where new homes and commercial development are being used to increase activity in central locations.
Transport investment is closely connected to that work. Rail stations, tram extensions, buses, walking routes, and parking influence how easily residents, employees, and visitors can reach high streets and therefore affect the customer base available to local businesses.
Housing can create a more permanent source of activity by putting more residents within walking distance of shops and services. Events and temporary markets can increase footfall more quickly, but maintaining that activity requires repeat visits and businesses capable of converting additional traffic into sustainable revenue.
The WMCA already supports markets, the night-time economy, and training for street-food entrepreneurs. Connecting those programmes with property investment could broaden the range of smaller businesses able to occupy town-centre units.
The allocation of the £10m will determine the programme’s scale at individual locations. Concentrating funding can support more substantial physical changes, whereas spreading it across a larger number of centres increases geographic reach but limits the amount available for each project.
Future measures of success will extend beyond the number of properties reopened. Occupancy, business survival, private investment, footfall, and the continued use of premises after the initial public funding has been spent will provide a stronger indication of whether the programme has improved local commercial conditions.
The first locations will therefore be an important part of the next phase, showing how the combined authority intends to balance visible high-street improvements with longer-term economic regeneration.
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