Scarborough and Malton tackle high vacant shop rates
North Yorkshire Council explores solutions for town centres
North Yorkshire Council is addressing the substantial number of vacant shops in Scarborough and Malton, both of which have higher town centre vacancy rates compared to other locations in the county.
Scarborough records the highest vacancy rate at 18.6 percent, influenced by the redevelopment of the Brunswick Centre, now named Square One. Excluding this from metrics, the rate reduces to 15.8 percent, the council performance report reveals.
Malton stands at a 17.1 percent vacancy rate, Ripon at 12.8 percent, while Whitby enjoys a lower rate of 7.6 percent. Comparatively, York's city centre rate was 7.5 percent last November, a notable decrease since July 2023.
Cllr Mark Crane, the executive member for open to business, voiced a commitment to lower these rates.
“We are working to look at vacancy rates in Scarborough and, surprisingly, in Scarborough and Malton, they are in line with national averages, though that average is still higher than we’d like it to be," Crane said.
“We’re hoping the Brunswick will be redeveloped and that will be a significant boost to the high street once it’s completed.”
Community insights and future plans
A public meeting held by the United Scarborough residents' group highlighted concerns over high rates of empty properties. Residents noted the difficulty for local businesses due to high rates and rents, and the rise of e-cigarette and gambling shops in town centres.
Crane mentioned the council's interest in acquiring property for enterprise startups and supporting local businesses despite not owning commercial premises or determining rates.
“Members should understand that going forward, high streets will not be what we have known growing up. We have seen massive increases in the likes of Amazon, and town centres are increasingly becoming places of cafés and places for people to meet," Crane added.
The council's performance report reflected progress in Scarborough outside the Brunswick area, showing a fall from 18.9 percent in 2024 to 15.8 percent in 2025.
“Vacancy in most town centres has either increased marginally or remained the same in recent months… this shows progress in the right direction, and we know where the issues are and are proactively addressing them,” the report stated.