Walsall has highest rate of empty shops in Midlands
Walsall had the highest rate of empty shops in the Midlands and the seventh highest in Britain last year, new figures have revealed.
The number of vacant shops stood at more than one in four – or 26.7 per cent – in 2013.
It had increased 1.3 per cent in a year, statistics from the Local Data Company have shown.
Meanwhile, nearby West Bromwich has also been named in the 10 worst-performing centres.
Walsall also ranked fourth in the worst performing large towns in Britain, whilst West Bromwich came second in the worst performing medium towns.
Average vacancy rates in the West Midlands stood at 15.9 per cent last year, with it ranked as the third worst region after the North East and North West.
The regional figure was down from 16.2 per cent in 2012, but still above the national average figure of 12.2 per cent for 2013 for Britain's top 650 town centres.
Walsall Council regeneration chief Councillor Adrian Andrew said the multi-million pound transformation of Old Square Shopping Centre, which will see a new Primark and Co-op open, was now under way and planning permission had been given for the £11 million St Matthew's Quarter development.
The scheme will see shops and restaurants created, paving the way for hundreds of new jobs. Councillor Andrew said: "I'm angry and frustrated. This does not reflect what is happening in the town. It does the town a disservice when we are trying to get people in here."
The vacancy rate at Birmingham's Bullring stood at 2.7 per cent last year but Birmingham 'High Streets' average was 19.8 per cent. Matthew Hopkinson, director at the LDC, said: "What is clear from LDC's latest report on vacancy rates, 'Divide and Rule', is that there is a significant and growing divide between the north of the country and the south."
