Research carried out for Heritage Counts in 55 cities and town centres in England shows that the number of listed buildings occupied by a business has increased by 18% since 2012, from 10,465 to 12,353. When applied to all towns and cities, estimates suggest that there are now approximately 142,000 businesses operating in listed buildings across England.
The increase is due, in part, to a rise in the number of branded retailers choosing to trade from listed buildings.
- Since 2012 the number of listed buildings occupied by a retail brand has increased by 154%.
- Whilst there has been a decline in the number of independent retailers occupying listed buildings since 2012, (down by 18%) they are still much more likely than branded retailers to be found in these types of properties on our high streets and in our towns and cities (51,151 vs 18,550).
- There has also been a surge in well-known food and drink brands trading from listed buildings – between 2012 and 2018 they increased occupation by 173% to 4,754.
- Pub chains Greene King and Marstons top the table as the largest branded occupiers of listed buildings. They are closely followed by large coffee chains like Caffe Nero, Starbucks and Costa.
Heritage Counts 2018 also examines how the use of commercial heritage assets has evolved over time.
- 26% of the nation’s creative businesses can be found in Conservation Areas.
- Over two thirds of these are located in London’s conservation areas.
- Outside London the research has identified individual conservation area specialisations including design-orientated clusters in the Harrogate and Royal Leamington Spa conservation areas; Advertising and Marketing in conservation areas in Manchester, Leeds and Cheltenham; Architecture in conservation areas in Cambridge and Newcastle; Film, TV, Video, Radio and Photography in Bristol and Nottingham; Music, Performance and Visual Arts in Sheffield, Liverpool and Brighton and Hove’s conservation areas.