In August we went public with our demand register and asked people who need space in Bedminster town centre to tell us.
Since then the government has set up a community renewal taskforce with town centre decline named as an immediate priority, and given councils new powers over what opens on the high street. That sits on top of the Community Right to Buy, law since April, with a £61m fund announced in June. There is a lot of money attached to high streets at the moment, most of it announced and not yet allocated, and we want Bedminster ready for it.
Empty units are counted, demand isn’t. When we ask an owner why a unit has been empty for two years and we’re told there’s no demand for it, there is nothing to test that against.
Our register fills that gap. On its own, one request for space is easy to overlook, but a body of named local demand is proof with numbers and specifics behind it, and it’s what we take into every conversation about buildings here.
We can’t guarantee premises but we can guarantee that:
– Your need is counted, and joins a bigger picture of local demand we can point to.
– That picture is what we take into every conversation about buildings and space.
– You hear first when a suitable space becomes available.
– You’re part of the wider conversation, with events, learning and updates as things move.
If you registered in August, you’re on the list and you don’t need to do anything. Otherwise, fill out our short survey here to add your voice to the Bedminster demand register.