DERELICT space above Worcester’s shops should be transformed into homes to tackle the city’s housing crisis according to a new campaign group.
Living Over The Shops (LOTS) has been set up by the city’s Green Party and calls for commercial properties that are being left unoccupied, to be turned into living spaces within the city centre.
Campaign chiefs hope Worcester City Council will work with new cross party group on a bold bid to bring the potential new homes to life and save further development on the green belt.
And preliminary talks have even been held by the group with the Federation of Small Businesses and Fortis Living, Worcester’s biggest housing association, to discuss the scheme.
Louis Stephen, LOTS group founder, claimed the current shortage of homes was causing a rise in cost of buying and renting property.
And with no rent controls in place, he and the Green Party believe the only way to cure the housing shortage across the country was to build millions of homes.
LOTS hope the ‘wasted’ space above many city centre premises will be considered alongside repeated calls for the city council to build on derelict land rather than the green belt and bring unoccupied homes in the city back into use.
The Green Party predict the idea will bring revenue to the city council and the shop owners with more people paying council tax and using the stores.
Coun Neil Laurenson, Green councillor for St Stephen, added: “Currently many people see the city centre as a no-go area in the late evenings due to the noisy night life.
“In time, more people living and ‘owning a stake’ in the area will have a moderating effect on the worst excesses of the rowdy night club, heavy drinking culture that frightens many people from being in the high street at night.”
Mr Stephen believes the scheme will also help the issue of congestion in the city.
“Out-of-town new houses often require people to use their cars to access city centre amenities,” he said.
“Clearly, people living above city centre shops have far better access to shops, bars, restaurants and public transport hubs without needing a car.”
A Worcester City Council spokesman said: “We already have planning policies in place to encourage the use of upper floors in city centre shops for residential use.
“The emerging South Worcestershire Development Plan, which is expected to be adopted next year, includes policies which encourage making full use of vacant floor space above shops to provide accommodation.”
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