BARNSLEY Council has approved plans to enforce new powers to bring long-empty shops back into use across the borough’s high streets.

Cabinet members agreed on March 4 to begin the process of introducing high street rental auctions, which could allow the council to step in and rent out persistently vacant commercial premises to new tenants.

The powers would apply to selected areas of Barnsley town centre, Wombwell and Goldthorpe where clusters of empty units have been identified.

Under the scheme, landlords who have left premises vacant for long periods could be required to allow the property to be rented through an auction process, enabling new businesses or community organisations to move in.

The move is intended to tackle long-standing vacancy issues on some high streets and encourage more activity in town centres.

Councillor Wendy Cain, cabinet member for public health and communities, said empty shops are a ‘blight on the community’.

Coun James Higginbottom, cabinet member for environment and highways, added: “This will give us the powers at our disposal not to go in there with heavy hand, necessarily, but to work with landlords, to work with owners to achieve a much more productive outcome.

“It adds to the wider work that we’re doing in the ‘Principal Towns’ in order to support investment and economic regeneration, not just in our town centre but in every part of the borough.”

Areas proposed for the scheme include Market Street, Peel Street and Shambles Street in Barnsley town centre, as well as parts of High Street and Station Road in Wombwell and Doncaster Road in Goldthorpe.

Council officers say these areas contain clusters of shops that have been empty for long periods.

For example, Peel Street currently has a group of nine vacant units, while Shambles Street includes larger premises that have stood empty for years.

In Goldthorpe, the vacancy rate is significantly higher than the regional average, with around 28 empty units recorded on the high street.

The powers were introduced by the government through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act, allowing councils to take action where properties have been vacant for more than a year within a two-year period.

If used, the council could arrange an auction to find tenants for the building, with successful bidders able to take on a lease of up to five years.

The council says the aim is to help independent businesses and community groups access high street premises while improving the appearance and vitality of town centres.

Before the powers can be used, the council must formally designate the areas where they will apply and carry out a public consultation lasting at least 28 days.

The plans form part of wider efforts to support high streets and encourage more businesses, visitors and community activity in Barnsley’s urban centres.

Coun Robin Franklin, cabinet spokesperson for regeneration and culture, said: “One of the missions in our Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy is to empower all of our communities to thrive.

“The High Street Rental Auctions will allow us to do this by targeting areas in the borough which we know to have the highest levels of unoccupied spaces and bringing them back into use.

“Allowing local businesses and community groups to access these persistently vacant spaces will breathe new life into our high streets, which are the beating heart of our communities.

“This work, along with our ongoing Pride in Place and Principal Towns programmes, will help to support economic, social, and environmental wellbeing in urban centres across the borough.”