Shops

Meadway Precinct needs development and there are new Council powers to reclaim derelict Premises where development is not happening fast enough.

Under the latest devolution reforms and the Pride in Place programme announced in September 2025, councils across England, Scotland, and Wales are being granted expanded powers to repossess and regenerate derelict properties. Here’s what’s changing:

Key Powers and Reforms

• Compulsory Purchase Powers: Councils and communities can now compulsorily purchase derelict pubs, disused department stores, and boarded-up shops. These assets can be transformed into housing, community spaces, or new businesses.

• Community ‘Right to Buy’: Local people will have the right to buy beloved or neglected assets, such as green spaces or historic buildings, to regenerate them for public use.

• Blocking Unwanted Shops: Councils can now block new betting shops, vape stores, and other unwanted retail outlets from opening on high streets, giving communities more control over their local environment.

• Funding for Regeneration: More than 330 of the UK’s most deprived communities will receive record funding to support these initiatives, prioritising projects that involve community consultation and local organisations.

This shift marks a significant move toward local empowerment, allowing councils and communities to take charge of their built environment and tackle long-standing issues of neglect and deprivation.

I will be asking the residents and business owners of Meadway Precinct if they are aware of these new powers and how if this could support them in the development of the Precinct.

Take the Survey here https://forms.gle/uk3TFYcT6RLuX3iU7