Key Points
- The Stockport council has embarked on making lists of vacant shops and high street properties within Stockport town centre and eight other district centres.
- These centres include Bramhall, Cheadle, Cheadle Hulme, Edgeley, Hazel Grove, Marple, Reddish and Romiley.
- The council could make use of the High Street Rental Auction Initiative to compel landlords to lease vacant commercial premises.
- Such powers enabling councils to intervene came into existence in 2023.
- Usually, the property needs to have remained vacant for more than 12 months in two years before any form of intervention is made.
- The council will have to satisfy itself that there will be some benefit of a high street use to the local community’s economy, society or environment.
- There will be an update to be shared with the councillors during the October 15 meeting.
- There haven’t been any rental auctions in Stockport; the council says the landlords have responded to councils’ actions.
- More than 40 councils have been engaged in the initiative by July 2026, with more than 60 properties being put to good use.
- There has been a new announcement of £10m in June 2026 to continue with the programme.
Stockport (Manchester Mirror) October 12, 2026 — As reported by the Manchester Evening News, Stockport council has revealed that it could soon look to take over empty shops on the high street under powers designed to pressure landlords into finding tenants for persistently vacant commercial properties.
The local authority is currently compiling lists of empty shops and other high street properties across Stockport town centre, as well as eight district centres: Bramhall, Cheadle, Cheadle Hulme, Edgeley, Hazel Grove, Marple, Reddish and Romiley.
The process is known as the High Street Rental Auction Initiative. It gives councils the ability to require landlords to rent out persistently vacant commercial properties on designated high streets to new tenants where the landlord has not been proactive or has been unable to secure a tenant.
An update on Stockport council’s progress is due to be presented to councillors at a meeting on October 15.
What powers could Stockport council use?
The powers were introduced in 2023 and are intended to help revive struggling high streets by encouraging landlords to take action on vacant units. Under the initiative, councils can step in to find someone to move into a property where a landlord is not proactive or has been unable to secure a tenant.
Stockport council said the steps “will provide a viable way to ensure vacant premises once again become active contributors to the local economy and high street experience”.
However, the council cannot intervene in every empty shop. According to the Manchester Evening News, a shop must have been empty continuously for more than 12 months across two years before the council can consider action.
The council would also need to be “satisfied that the occupation of the premise for a suitable high-street use would be beneficial to the local economy, society, or environment”.
Which empty shops may be excluded?
Not all vacant properties are expected to be suitable for the process. Large former department stores may require more complex redevelopment plans, while buildings needing significant repair could fall outside the scheme if the landlord is forced to pay the costs.
The council report also acknowledged practical difficulties with the process. As reported by the Manchester Evening News, it stated: “Stockport is fortunate that it generally does not have a high number of long standing vacant units blighting its high streets. The HSRA process is cumbersome and resource intensive and challenges have been raised relating to property conditions and legal processes.”
The report added:
“The main benefit of the HSRA process is that it has helped instigate more proactive discussions with landlords who have since become more active in securing tenants.”
Have any auctions taken place?
No High Street Rental Auctions have taken place in Stockport so far. According to the council report, landlords have been prompted to act and fill empty space after councils began taking action under the initiative.
The council now wants to compile a list of properties where it could apply for government funding in the future.
The initiative has been used elsewhere. Between 2024 and 2025, councils were encouraged to bid for a £1.5m pot intended to kickstart the scheme, although no council in Greater Manchester took part. By July 2026, more than 40 councils had started getting involved, bringing more than 60 properties back into use.
In June 2026, a further £10m was announced to progress the scheme.
What has government said?
The scheme has been framed by government as part of a wider effort to support town centres. In June 2025, Alex Norris MP said:
“This will play a critical role in spurring regeneration, revival and renewal on a local level – and will be part of a package of measures we are deploying to put high streets and town centres back on their feet.”
He added:
“We know this will take time and effort to achieve and we are under no illusions about the scale of the task we face. But we can only succeed by putting local leaders back in the driving seat as we work together to lay the ground for a better future.”
How does this fit with Greater Manchester plans?
The Stockport development comes alongside wider work across Greater Manchester to support town and district centres. In August 2026, Greater Manchester Mayor Bev Craig launched a £20m Good Growth High Streets Fund, which businesses and community groups can bid into to make improvements and attract more visitors to local shops.
As reported by the BBC, the fund is expected to open for applications later in the year, although details of how much individual projects will be able to bid for had not yet been announced. The mayor’s office said it could support ideas including bringing empty shops back into use and supporting community events.
Craig said many residents were concerned by the decline of some high streets, pointing to boarded-up shops, derelict buildings and the loss of independent businesses.
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority said the fund would be available to local businesses, business groups, and voluntary and community organisations across the region to take forward ideas for improving their high street.
Background of the development
The High Street Rental Auction Initiative was introduced in 2023 to give councils a route to require landlords to let persistently vacant commercial properties on designated high streets. It is intended to apply where a landlord is not proactive or has been unable to secure a tenant, and where bringing the property back into a suitable high street use would benefit the local economy, society or environment.
Stockport council’s current work involves identifying potentially relevant empty properties across the town centre and eight district centres. The council says it generally does not have a high number of long-standing vacant units, but wants to create a list of sites where it could apply for future government funding.
The initiative sits within a broader policy response to changing shopping habits and pressures on town centres. In Greater Manchester, the mayor’s £20m Good Growth High Streets Fund is intended to support local businesses, voluntary groups and community organisations with projects that improve high streets, increase footfall and restore local pride.
Prediction: How could this affect Stockport residents and traders?
For Stockport residents, the plan could lead to fewer long-term vacant units in the town centre and district centres if landlords bring properties back into use before formal council intervention becomes necessary. The council’s own report suggests that the threat or early stages of the process has already encouraged more proactive discussions with landlords.
For independent traders, community groups and potential tenants, the initiative could create additional opportunities to occupy suitable high street premises, particularly where landlords have struggled to secure tenants. However, the council has made clear that the process is resource-intensive and that some properties, especially those requiring major repairs or complex redevelopment, may not be suitable.
For landlords, the development increases the likelihood of scrutiny over properties that remain empty for extended periods. While no auctions have yet taken place in Stockport, the council’s plan to identify candidate properties and seek future funding suggests that vacant units may face greater pressure to be let or improved.
