Traders reveal Inverness city centre shop has stood empty for decade
A CITY centre shop unit which has been empty for at least 10 years is a stark symbol of a worrying trend, according to neighbouring traders.
They highlighted the property in Union Street after The Inverness Courier published a series of photographs depicting the depressing visual impact of at least 40 vacant shops around the centre.
Business and community leaders are now calling for urgent action to tackle the issue which affects High Street, Castle Street, Union Street, Church Street, the Eastgate Centre and the Victorian Market.One empty property at 20 to 22 Union Street is in a prominent location at the entrance to the Victorian Market.
Neighbouring trader Garek Begg, of Begg Shoes and Bags, recalled it was last permanently occupied by an outdoor pursuits shop well over 10 years ago. Since then it has occasionally been used for short-term temporary lets.
"It is disappointing," Mr Begg said. "If you have an empty unit next to you, it is a big hole. If you have someone in there who is trading, it brings people into the area."
His company, which is celebrating 150 years in business, has eight shops in the north of Scotland including in Shetland and Orkney.
It had considered expanding the Inverness business by opening a children’s shoe shop but had decided not to go ahead because of the drop in footfall in the city.
"I feel the future of Inverness city centre is fairly bleak from a retail point of view," said Mr Begg, who has traded in Union Street for more than 30 years.
He cited business rates as a major issue, maintaining they no longer reflected the level of footfall and rental values. He felt there could be situations where traders were paying double the amount in rates than they were paying for in rent.
Keith McCaffery, owner of the neighbouring men’s fashion shop, Cafferys, felt the turnover in temporary lets around the city was an issue but acknowledged times were difficult for start-up businesses.
"There are a lot of people out there with good ideas but they cannot get funding," he said. "If you go into the Eastgate Centre, there are a few empty units there, too. It is not just the little businesses with issues, it is the big ones too."
Further along Union Street, Colin Craig runs Oil and Vinegar, a Dutch-owned franchise business.
"I think the empty units make the place look awful – it’s the fact a lot have been vacant for many years," he said. "It does give the impression it is all a bit depressed, whether that is true or not."
Although the number of vacant units – nine per cent of the total of all shops in the city centre – was in line with the national average, he said that did not make it right.
"It is quite clear that an issue in the UK is rent and rates," he said. "From what I am being told, the rent and rates we pay here is considerably higher than in other European countries."
