Vacant Possession
Genuinely radical new powers to tackle Hastings’ empty shops removes a landlord’s ability to delay action indefinitely and will force owners to ‘use it or lose it’ says local building contractor CHRIS DODWELL
Empty Hastings shop leases could be auctioned
Empty buildings on the high street lower confidence, reduce footfall, and hurt neighbouring businesses. But new powers mean leaving a property empty is no longer a consequence-free choice. If applied consistently, this could be the catalyst Hastings needs to unlock its boarded-up potential.
Hastings Borough Council (HBC) is already preparing to use the new ‘High Street Rental Auction’ (HSRA) powers to tackle long-term empty properties. Introduced as part of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, the council can now intervene when landlords leave key buildings vacant and deteriorating.
A property becomes a target for a lease-hold auction if it has been vacant for more than 12 months, is located within a high street zone and is suitable for uses such as shops, cafés, offices or residential space above shops.
In the past, the council could encourage but not force landlords to fill shops. Now it can ask the landlord to bring the property back into use. If no progress is made, a notice is served. The council can then auction a lease – typically 1-5 years – to a suitable tenant. Crucially, while the landlord retains ownership, they lose the power to keep the building empty.
Deputy Council Leader Julia Hilton says HBC will begin work to use the HSRA powers particularly in the town centre as a first stage. “The government has recently announced a £301m High Streets Innovation Partnerships initiative on 21 March 2026. We hope to benefit from this to help fund the capacity needed to really take advantage of the HSRA powers.”
The same legislation tackles another long-standing issue – stalled developments. Too often, planning permission has been secured, partial works carried out, and sites left in limbo for years. Previously, councils faced a bureaucratic hurdle – approval from the Secretary of State was required to serve a Completion Notice. That’s now been removed and the Council can move to terminate planning permission where a scheme is progressing “unreasonably slowly.” Once permission is withdrawn, the site could revert to its previous lawful use and any revised scheme would require a fresh planning application. That combination of uncertainty, delay and financial exposure creates a powerful incentive: complete the development or risk losing the value already invested.
Taken together, these powers mark a clear shift in approach. Whether it is an empty shop or a half-finished building, long-term inactivity is no longer consequence-free. The impact on Hastings could be significant. Turning these spaces into shops, studios, workspaces or homes where suitable use adds to the footfall and local life necessary for a resilient town centre. This is not about punishing landlords, it is about ending the long-term inactivity that harms our community.
Chris Dodwell is Director of Hastings Building Services Ltd.
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