High Street Rental Auctions to be launched in Eastwood

Broxtowe Borough Council are one of eleven councils in England to lead on High Street Rental Auctions, a new permissive power for local authorities to require landlords to rent out persistently vacant commercial properties to new tenants. The decision to launch the initiative in Eastwood comes after some early success in Stapleford.

Premises selected for HSRAs, 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 Eastwood HSRA Designated Area. We will establish a Vacancy Register of those properties after we enter into a 28-day minimum community engagement period, which begins today.

The Council is seeking comments regarding the Designated Area. Comments can be submitted between 28 July 2025 and 25 August 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.

Leaflets with information about Eastwood HSRA’s are available in Eastwood Library.

Leader of Broxtowe Borough Council and Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Asset Management, Councillor Milan Radulovic MBE, said, “I am pleased to be able to bring the High Street Rental Auction initiative to Eastwood after a successful start to the project in Stapleford. This initiative will aid in reducing the number of empty units in the town, bringing life back to Eastwood high street.”

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.

“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 11 Early Adopters of High Street Rental Auctions, information is limited at this time. The Eastwood HSRA web page will be updated with further information when it becomes available.

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