The Local Data Company (LDC) has published its latest report on Great Britain’s vacancy rates from the first half of 2015. The report titled ‘Cautious Optimism’ analyses 2,165 towns, shopping centres and retail parks that LDC visited in the first half of the year, giving a comprehensive insight into the health of the country’s shopping destinations and how they are changing.

The national vacancy rate in H1 2015 improved by -0.2% versus the second half of 2014. This is as a result of over 700 previously vacant units being reoccupied. England has the lowest town centre vacancy rate (11.6%) followed by Scotland (11.8%) with Wales some way behind (15.6%).

Within the English regions, London has the lowest vacancy rate at 7.9%, while all other regions have double-digit vacancy rates and both the North East and North West have a vacancy rate that is twice as high as London at 16.4%.

Vacancy by type of location provides an interesting comparison. Retail Parks (6.6%) show the lowest overall vacancy rate, followed by small towns (11.7%). Large centres and Shopping Centres show the highest level of vacancy overall (14.8%).

More than one in three shops currently stand empty in Burslem, West Midlands, which has the highest vacancy rate in the UK. However, larger towns like Newport, Stoke-on-Trent, Walsall, Wigan, Stockport, Bolton and Hartlepool, all have a vacancy rate in excess of 25%.