Vacant Shops and Artists: Advice from Meanwhile Space

I am from Meanwhile Space, a Community Interest Company working with the Development Trusts Association on (the Government's) Meanwhile project to boost community uses of empty properties in our town centres. We're currently at an early stage where we’re gathering intelligence about what’s already happening and exploring/developing/testing the approach in some particular places.

It is a sticky process and can be really quite cumbersome with business rates, and getting the landlords, agents and council onside, which is why we are trying to gather as much intelligence of what people are actually doing to try and make it easier.

You mention the possibility of council tax exemption if you occupy the spaces. It's quite a complicated and cloudy situation - if you are a registered charity, you automatically get 80% relief from business rates and the remaining 20% is up to the council to grant you exemption. If you are a not-for-profit organisation, it is up to the council to decide if they wish to grant you exemption for any of the business rates so it's obviously important to have the council backing you to get relief from rates if you aren't a charity. Properties over £15,00 Rateable Value (you can check your property here if you know the address: http://www.voa.gov.uk ) are liable to pay business rates after 3 months of being empty (a new law since 2008) so landlords paying business rates would have a further incentive if you could relieve this financial pressure for them.

We are hoping to get a meanwhile website up and running as soon as possible to enable people to talk about problems and issues as well as positive avenues so we will let you know when that goes live and hopefully it will help to talk with others who have done it already/ are experiencing it now about any problems you have along the way. Meanwhile, please do keep us updated with your progress, and do get in touch with any queries you may have.