Empty shops prompt 'ghost town' fears
The number of empty shops in County Durham is at its highest rate ever, a report has found.
Peterlee, Bishop Auckland, and Newton Aycliffe are the worst hit, while Ferryhill, Shildon, Consett, and Barnard Castle have also suffered heavily in the past year.
Overall, vacancy rates recently increased to 18.3%, compared with the national average of 14.4%.
However, one local retail consultant said work was being done to tackle the issue, adding "despite all the challenges, we continue to see good-quality independent and national businesses opening and seeking space in the region's town and city centres".
High streets across County Durham have continued to suffer when high-profile retailers leave prominent sites, with closures fuelled by changing shopping habits and rising rent.
The number of pharmacies, banks, and supermarkets have also decreased, but there were about 33% more takeaway outlets in 2024 compared with 2014.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the report, Ghost Towns: The Decline of the High Street and Health Inequalities, argued for more "people-friendly" spaces, with seating, public toilets and pedestrianised areas to increase footfall.
Graham Soult, a North East-based retail consultant, warned that the declining state of local high streets should not be sensationalised.
"Local place leaders on the ground, in this region and beyond, are already working hard to tackle those issues and help facilitate the very change that the report's authors advocate", he said.
Residents in Bishop Auckland and Spennymoor have been invited to take part in decision-making and new powers such as High Street Rental Auctions, to help redevelop derelict properties, are set to be introduced in Darlington.
Mr Soult, who previously worked on the government's High Streets Task Force, said: "It is particularly disappointing that the report does not provide a platform to celebrate case studies of the good practice it is pushing for.
"The question we need to be asking is how we can all work together to make even more of that good stuff happen."
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