THE ‘buzz’ will return to Worcester High Street - but only if more people live in flats over city centre shops says a campaigner.

Green Party councillor Louis Stephen wants more people to be given the opportunity to live above Worcester shops, not only providing them with a home but supporting businesses, cutting congestion and protecting greenfield sites. The councillor argues it is ‘shocking’ that the electoral roll shows no-one is living on Worcester High Street as figures show a rise in rough sleeping last year.

However, he commended the work of Worcester Municipal Charities which has sought to ensure there is more affordable housing for the homeless, including within the city centre.

The charities have been helped by Homes England to create flats over the shops and in empty office buildings. With the latest development of another 25 flats in the former Probation Service officers at Shaw Street, the total number of affordable almshouses for younger homeless will rise to 64 by next year.

Figures released by the Government in February last year showed that the number of rough sleepers in Worcester increased from 12 to 24 between 2017 and 2018.

Of those 24 people, 19 were male, three were female and the gender was not known for the other two.

However, the Worcester News understands the latest rough sleeping figures – expected to be published next month – will show a fall in the number of people on the streets in Worcester.

Cllr Stephen said the legal separation between the landowner and shop management made it difficult but not impossible to make progress in getting more people living above shops.

We reported earlier this month how Tim Evans, owner of Toys & Games in Broad Street, called on the ‘High Street’ to re-invent itself and make use of flats above shops to make businesses more viable and provide affordable housing.

With the closure of HMV, Mothercare and Knowles Sports in Worcester ahead the future of the city centre has come under close scrutiny.

Cllr Stephen believes Living Over The Shop (LOTS) is the way forward.

He said: “Great work has been done by organisations like Worcester Municipal Charities in increasing the amount of upper floor flats and apartments close to the city centre. I’d like to see their good work expanded still further right into places like The Shambles and even to the High Street. LOTS has the potential to increase the amount of accommodation without building on greenfield sites. City centre living with all the shops, amenities, train and bus stations also has the potential to increase housing without as much pressure to increase car journeys – so the normal congestion-increasing effect of building new houses on the outskirts of the city is also greatly reduced.

“Clearly LOTS may not suit everyone, but many people like the buzz of city centre living. More LOTS could have a moderating effect on antisocial behaviour and crime in the city. The rents they pay could support landlords to be more creative in supporting more viable rents for the shop below and of course more people living in the city centre will increase footfall and hopefully increase their business takings too.

“My goal is to give LOTS a high priority and profile."

The Worcester City Plan 2016-2021, the strategic plan by Worcester City Council, also refers to a commitment to a ‘reduction in underused property, including re-using empty homes and more flats over shops.’