Thame’s empty shop vacancies lowest in the district

THE number of shops which are lying empty in South Oxfordshire’s market towns has fallen over the last year, according to a recent survey.

Thame currently has the lowest shop vacancy rate in the district with just six out of the town’s 186 premises lying empty.

The annual South Oxfordshire Retail Vacancy Survey, a count of the number of empty shop units on a single day each year, took place in January and revealed that an average of just five per cent of retail units across Henley, Thame and Wallingford were vacant.

The low rate in South Oxfordshire compares very well to the national average, recorded by the Local Data Company, of 13.2 per cent of units vacant (measured in December 2014).

Cllr John Cotton, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “While others are clearly struggling our close co-operation with businesses, town councils, and the wider community, has seen our market towns continue to thrive, with low shop vacancy rates and fast take up of premises that do become available. We’ll continue to do all we can to help new businesses take up these empty premises and ensure that our towns keep flourishing.”