Courts could be set up in shopping centres, Magistrates' Association says
The proposals, which will be submitted to ministers, aim to reduce the time that victims, witnesses and others spend travelling to hearings by allowing more cases to be dealt with close to where the people involved live or work.
State-of-the-art court buildings are not always needed to administer justice and empty stores in shopping centres could be used instead, with the public able to see the courts at work, the Magistrates' Association said. Read More...
Support builds for meanwhile use
The Meanwhile Project, supported by the department for communities and local government commissioned a report from SQW Consulting which extolled the business case for meanwhile use of vacant properties.
The report concluded that the arrangement is beneficial to charities, property owners and the wider public and is increasingly being taken up.
They also noted increased usage of meanwhile leases, which it states are effective in managing the risks associated to meanwhile use projects. Read More... to see the full report.
Dan Thompson's innovation: the Empty Shop Network
Dan Thompson describes his main skill as "charming keys out of people". Ever since he was gifted a former bakery in Worthing which he made into an impromptu art gallery, he has been reviving disused shops with creative ventures and quirky commercial schemes. "It's very easy," he assures me.
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