News & Insight
Writing on retail property, leases and the high street.
Articles from the practice archive — lease renewals and rent reviews, town centre regeneration and place management.
Rents Find Their Reality, Slowly But Surely
After years of stubborn adherence to pre-recession benchmarks, retail rents are now genuinely finding a new, lower level. This isn't a collapse, but a recalibration.
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When Daily Chores Left the High Street
The disappearance of banks and post offices has stripped away essential reasons for many to visit our high streets, altering patterns of daily life and footfall.
Use Class Flexibility: A Surveyor's View
New freedoms for changing a unit's purpose don't always translate into a clear path for an occupier, nor a simple financial decision.
Rents Settle, After Years of Holding On
It has been a long time coming, but the adjustments in rental expectations are finally tangible, not just talked about.
Use Class Flexibility: A Landlord's Lever
Planning use classes are meant to guide development, but on the high street, they often become a bargaining chip. Landlords and tenants navigate these rules, sometimes with surprising outcomes.
The Market Town's Fortunes: More Than Just Location
One often wonders why a market town flourishes while another, seemingly similar, struggles to retain its retail fabric. The answer is complex.
Handing Back the Keys: A Quiet End
Walking through a newly vacated shop, the echoes of a business closing are more than just the physical space. It's the human story.
When Shops Become Collection Points
The rise of online shopping has fundamentally altered the role of the physical store, often transforming it into an integral part of the supply chain.
The Shop's Shifting Purpose: Beyond the Till
The line between retail space and logistical hub blurs further each year, changing how shops are used and valued.
Rents Adjust to a Shifting Landscape
After years of holding firm, or appearing to, the reality of market pressures is forcing a recalibration of retail rents. This isn't just a correction; it's a fundamental reset.
The Shadow of a Vacant Anchor Store
A large, empty department store casts a long shadow, not just physically, but over the surrounding retail ecosystem and property values.
The Letting Agent's Board: A Street's Quiet Indicator
Walking down a high street, the agent's board often goes unnoticed. Yet, it can tell a precise story about that specific retail environment.
The Invisible Burdens of Empty Shops
The cost of holding an empty retail unit often goes unseen, yet it significantly impacts both landlords and the high street's health.
The Changing Nature of the Retail Space
Shops are becoming more than just places to buy things. The lines between retail, logistics, and customer service continue to blur.
Another Familiar Name Goes: What Comes Next?
It's always a moment of quiet reflection when a long-standing high street chain finally closes its doors.
When the Retail Floor Becomes a Warehouse
Click and collect is a convenience for customers, but it's fundamentally reshaping the shop's role and operations.
Footfall's Slow Retreat from High Street Cores
I've been observing a quiet shift, a slow drift of footfall away from the traditional high street core to its edges. It’s a subtle but persistent change.
The quiet reality of dividing a departed chain shop
A look at how landlords are carving up large, empty retail units after national chains exit, and what the replacement tells us about modern rent.
High Street Rental Auctions: a tenant's guide
High Street Rental Auctions let councils auction the lease of a long-term vacant commercial unit. Here is how the process works, what the tenancy actually gives you, and the risks occupiers should price in before bidding.
“Well‑intentioned” rent reform may choke off investment — and stall Crewe’s revival
In July 2025, the government quietly included a provision in the English Devolution & Community Empowerment Bill to ban upward‑only rent...
A Fairer Future: Why the End of Upward-Only Rent Reviews is Good News for Occupiers
The government's decision to ban upward-only rent reviews (UORRs) represents one of the most impactful reforms in commercial property...
High Street grant scheme in Crewe - Don't Sign until you speak to me..... don't be a big mug!
Before You Sign: The Hidden Risks of Taking a Lease with a Cheshire East High Street Grant The Cheshire East High Street Grant in Crewe...
Lack of planning control ?
Why Unregulated Signage on Vape Shops, Phone Repair and Eastern European Stores Is Undermining Our Urban Aesthetic. Walk down almost any...
Meanwhile Uses: Critical Analysis of Public Consultation Processes: Crewe Town Centre - Are the Community Truly Being Heard?
Public consultation has become a staple of modern governance, with decision-makers across the globe emphasising its importance as a...
How I, as a Chartered Surveyor, Can Drive the Revitalisation of Town Centres
Town centres have long been the beating heart of communities, providing a mix of retail, leisure, and social spaces that bring people...
The Strategic Role of Retail Chartered Surveyors in Navigating Empty Retail Properties - Landlords need to do their bit
Introduction The high street has long been the heartbeat of communities, but the rise of e-commerce, shifting consumer habits, and...
Navigating Retail Property Challenges: I can offer Expert Advice for Small Retailers and Landlords
Introduction With over 40 years of experience as a retail chartered surveyor and senior university lecturer in real estate, I’ve...
The Leadmill Sheffield Case: A Catalyst for Reforming the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 to Protect Cultural Heritage and Goodwill
The Leadmill Sheffield Case: A Catalyst for Reforming the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 to Protect Cultural Heritage and Goodwill...
Crewe’s Costly Car Park Debacle: A Case Study in Failed Planning and Regeneration Inexperience
Crewe’s Costly Car Park Debacle: A Case Study in Failed Planning Crewe, a town once heralded as a railway powerhouse now finds itself in...
The Leadmill Court Case: Inevitable Defeat and the Price of Principle Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954
Introduction: A Cultural Icon at a Crossroads The Leadmill, a beloved and iconic music venue in Sheffield, recently faced a legal battle...
Understanding the Foundational Economy
Revitalising the High Street in the UK: The Role of the Foundational Economy In recent years, the UK’s high streets have faced...
Understanding High Street Rental Auctions - Can I help ?
As an experienced retail surveyor, I understand how challenging it can be for businesses to secure the right high street property. With...
Harnessing the Power of Online Consultants in the Dynamic Real Estate Landscape
In today's fast-paced, ever-changing real estate market, staying ahead of the curve requires agility, insight, and a keen understanding...
New Skills for Retail Leasing Agents: Creating Sustainable Places Through Placemaking and Place Management
As the retail landscape continues to evolve, so does the role of retail leasing agents.
30 August 2024Do you need any drone footage ?
Elevate Your Property Sales with Stunning Drone Footage In today's competitive real estate market, making your property stand out is more...
The Role of Grassroots Music Venues in Urban Regeneration
Introduction Urban regeneration is a complex process that involves the redevelopment of urban areas that have fallen into decline. This...
Leveraging Dutch Architectural Principles to Enhance UK Housing: Cycling Infrastructure and Walkable Towns
Abstract The United Kingdom faces a significant housing shortage, compounded by inadequate urban planning that prioritises car use over...
The Regeneration of Urban Towns with Market Halls: Homogenisation, Creativity, and the Challenge of Gentrification
Urban regeneration has been a focal point in efforts to revitalise struggling towns
The Politics of Regeneration and Place in Crewe: An Analysis of the Crewe Town Board’s Failures
Abstract Urban regeneration in post-industrial towns like Crewe, located in Cheshire, UK, has often been a politically charged process....