This stagnation isn’t just a statistical concern, it’s having a real impact on local life by reducing foot traffic, draining economic activity, and contributing to rising levels of anti-social behaviour. Many beloved local businesses including the Modern Boulangerie, the Baker Street Bistro and Bar inside Petticoat Lane Emporium, and Ramsgate’s much-loved Book Bodega to name a few, have all shut their doors for good.

The issue, he said, is not a lack of demand but high rents and landlords unwilling to work with long-standing tenants. He feels that the council isn’t doing enough to support local traders and instead claims that they “wasting money like water” on other projects that aren’t making a real difference. He said the rents are “astronomical” for local businesses.

The 74-year-old told the Express: “There’s a man called Gerry whose coffee shop was there for about 10 years, and they wouldn’t renew his lease. It was only a little coffee shop, but we’ve lost another facility in another place.

“It’s affecting people who are trying to make a living in the high street, and they’re getting rid of them before they even fill the other shops.

“They could fill the shops tomorrow by doing things like little crafts or letting six people share a space. But they [the council] don’t seem to want to.”

Gerry’s Coffee and Art House, once a popular local spot in Albert Court known for its quality coffee, rotating art exhibitions, and creative workshops, closed its doors, but the space didn’t stay empty for long. The premises at 17 Albert Court, now temporarily leased by Ramsgate Space, are at the heart of a growing local regeneration effort.

Founded by Ramsgate residents Louise Brooks and Georgina Street, Ramsgate Space is a community interest company focused on tackling the town’s high shop vacancy rate. The building is council-owned and has been made available on a “meanwhile use” basis by Thanet District Council to support this initiative.

Since taking over, Louise Brooks has witnessed a significant change in this small area alone. The surrounding square has been renovated, and CCTV installed to curb anti-social behaviour. This improvement has also been aided by Ramsgate Space’s presence and the arrival of Staple Stores, a coffee shop which moved to York Street earlier this year, replacing the former Corby’s Tea Rooms, which closed in 2023.

Louise Brooks told the Express: “Before the coffee shop moved in, there was drug dealing, drug taking, violence, it was really bad here. Since we opened our doors, the antisocial behaviour has dropped off.”

Inside Ramsgate Space HQ, it’s hard to miss the large, colourful illustrated map showcasing available units and “shop-ortunities” across the town.

Ms Brooks said: “I set up Ramsgate Space, which is a community interest company, and the purpose of Ramsgate Space is to tackle the empty shops problem in Ramsgate. When we set ourselves up we had a vacancy rate of around 18%, but that’s dropping now.

“We had three banks close in one year. Then Wilko, Argos, New Look, and WHSmith. All gone. That level of multinational retreat at once was devastating. We were really dependent on large multinationals, and they all disappeared at the same time.

Ramsgate is in the middle of a major transition period. Brooks said: “We didn’t want to sit around saying ‘everything’s rubbish.’ We had to change the narrative. There’s not a lack of demand. It’s that 60% of the empty shops weren’t even available. They were locked up by absentee landlords or big investment portfolios.”

One key piece of legislation expected to accelerate change is the Government’s new High Street Rental Auctions scheme, which is set to allow local authorities to force landlords to lease out units that have been vacant for more than 12 months.

“Just the threat of it has already pushed some landlords into action in other towns. We’re hoping to do the same here.”

Ramsgate is becoming a case study for national regeneration, even being featured in the UK Government’s new small business strategy, Brooks said.

Ms Brooks has led regeneration projects across the UK and also helped set up the Ramsgate Traders Group, giving independent business owners a collective voice and a seat on the board overseeing the town’s regeneration. She said that it’s about filling these empty spaces with local, independent businesses people who are rooted in the community and it’s also about collaboration.

She added: “We’ve got the right demographics, the right energy. It just needed coordination. Ramsgate should be thriving and now, it’s finally turning a corner.”

“We’ve got support from all sides because you know we’ve got a Reform Council at KCC, we’ve got a Labour Council, so that’s Kent County Council, Labour Council at Thanet District Council and they’re all being really supportive and helping us kind of get to the point. We’re working collaboratively with Kent County Council, with Thanet District Council, with Ramsgate Town Council in terms of how we can then look at kind of occupy and activating this outside area.”

Ramsgate Space is already creating change in the town by helping place new businesses into empty space. One such example is the recent opening of Salt House Ramsgate, located on Queen Street, and downstairs Screaming Alley, a Ramsgate-based Cabaret Production company led by Lara Clifton has also opened a brand new members club and performance space.

Alex Gillings, who runs Salt Barbers and is the deputy chair of the newly formed Ramsgate Traders Group said: “If every town had an organisation like Ramsgate Spaces, you would see high streets across the country lighting up. What makes Ramsgate what it is, is community and unifying the different communities is the way forward. We’re in a big transition at the moment in this town connecting lots of dots and communities together. The big thing is getting all the traders to unify, essentially, as one group so we can have a really great voice.”

For independent traders, accessing space in town centres is often the biggest barrier. Mr Gillings added: “It’s not about making it work once you’re in the space, it’s about getting there in the first place. That’s the hard bit.” Navigating lease terms, negotiating with landlords, or simply finding available space can be overwhelming without the right support.

Another promising effort to combat the high street’s decline is being led by Emma Jane Palin, 34, owner of the beautiful independent design and hardware store, Our Curated Abode on Addington Street.

Her shop has become a hub for local shoppers looking for a mix of homeware and hardware and now, it’s also at the heart of a new community initiative.

Ms Palin recently launched Don’t Miss Ramsgate, a weekly email newsletter and Instagram account dedicated to promoting events, markets, and local happenings around the town. Originally developed in Margate, the concept was brought to Ramsgate by Palin, who saw a clear need for better visibility for local events. In just a few weeks, Don’t Miss Ramsgate has already gathered over 500 newsletter subscribers and 1,000 Instagram followers.

The initiative was officially launched with a community event at Ramsgate Space CIC, drawing residents, business owners, and creatives together in support of a more vibrant town centre.

She believes that one of the biggest barriers for new businesses in Ramsgate is the sheer size and cost of many empty retail units.

“We’ve seen it happen — a small business moves into a huge space and it’s just way beyond their means,” she explains. “The landlords aren’t going to drastically reduce the rent, so instead the units just sit empty. For some of them, it’s actually better to leave the property vacant than accept a lower offer.”

“I started this out just as a hardware store because there wasn’t one after Wilko’s closed. It was a frustration for me. And then I was like, I always complain about this. Why don’t I just do it? And then because I worked in the interiors, I thought, I’m going to do it my own way.”

Speaking about the Modern Boulangerie closing, she said: “I think it’s obviously a UK-wide issue. There was a really incredible bakery. It used to be a tiny site and queues out the door. Then it moved to a bigger space, but the rent was just so high. They couldn’t run. And it was such a big community loss.”

Big changes are on the horizon for Ramsgate, as the town council has been awarded a significant £20 million in Government funding through the Plan for Neighbourhoods programme. This funding, to be invested over the next decade, marks a major opportunity to revitalise the town’s high street.

To ensure that this transformation benefits the local community, Ramsgate Space is inviting businesses to take an active role in shaping the future through a series of engagement events this September. Meetings begin on 1 September with a Wider Business Community Event at Albion House, where attendees will learn more about the investment and how to get involved.

High street block meetings, organised in collaboration with Ramsgate Traders Group, will follow across several neighbourhoods, offering a more focused opportunity to discuss local priorities. There will also be a Business and Residents Drop-In session on 4 September at Ramsgate Space HQ, open to anyone who wants to ask questions, share their views, or simply learn more.

A Thanet District Council spokesperson said: “The council is taking proactive steps to help reduce the number of empty shops in Ramsgate by bringing vacant properties back into use. The latest data shows a vacancy rate of 12.5%, which is higher than we would like.

“This is a figure we expect will improve. We are bringing empty commercial properties back into use, under the High Street Rental Auctions (HSRA) legislation which came into effect in December 2024.

“Prior to this, we used the Government’s Meanwhile Use scheme to support non-commercial organisations to take on short-term leases on previously empty properties.

“Both schemes are already having a positive impact on Ramsgate. A bustling town centre, with a diverse range of shops, cafés and restaurants, draws in local people and visitors. They in turn spend more of their money with local businesses, and the result is a thriving town.”