MORE than one in 10 shop units in Huddersfield town centre is now empty, a survey has revealed.

Figures from business information group the Local Data Company showed that 11.7% of the town centre’s 422 shops were empty during December, 2009.

That compares with 6.89% in June last year and 3.85% in December, 2008.

However, when total floorspace rather than individual units are considered, the picture looks much better.

Figures compiled by Kirklees Council show just 5.8% of retail space in the town unoccupied during December against 8.2% last April.

Cathy Burger, town centre manager, said the reduction in empty floorspace had been achieved with the arrival of new retailers, including Peter Jones and Virgin Media on New Street and Ethel Austin and Au Naturale in the former Woolworths store on Victoria Lane.

However, the future of Ethel Austin and Au Naturale is now in doubt after the sister chains went into administration this week.

Ms Burger said Huddersfield had improved on its floor space vacancy rate considerably – at a time when trading conditions for many retailers were tough.

She said: “Reports from retailers about trade up until December, 2009, were positive – with many of the national retailers being some of the best performing in their region.

“We are also seeing units in Byram Arcade and on Byram Street being taken up, so all in all, we are seeing some very positive movement.”

The Local Data Company’s survey showed that Wolverhampton was the worst-hit in the UK during December with 23.9% of its town centre stores unoccupied.

Bradford was next on the list with 22.5% of its 451 units empty.

Elsewhere in West Yorkshire, Leeds had 17.77% of its 967 stores vacant with Wakefield logging 17.2% of its 498 outlets and Halifax at 5.22% for its 276 stores as unoccupied.

The survey said: “The number of empty shops in Yorkshire continues to increase, but the rate of increase is slowing.

“A majority of the large retail centres see vacancy rates well above the national average of about 12%. Bradford, for example, saw 22.5% at the year end.”

Nationally, 12.4% of town centre stores stand vacant, according to the survey – up by a quarter on the tally for June, 2009.

The survey of more than 700 town centres said overall shop vacancy in England and Wales had almost doubled since the end of 2008.

All regions saw a jump in vacancies in December against June – with the north-east showing the highest vacancy rates at an average of 14%.

Liz Peace, chief executive of the British Property Federation, said the increase reflected a “fundamental reshaping” of the UK high streets as more people shopped online.

She said: “The next government will need to balance cuts in spending with ideas for reinvigorating regions suffering from years of under investment.

“This doesn’t mean simply building more shops, but a thorough re-evaluation of what we need and how we take existing empty properties and use them for other things.”

Stephen Robertson, director general of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Many of the problems of town centres had more fundamental causes than simply the economic slowdown – and they will not disappear just because recovery is underway.

“High street shops are often battling big bills for business rates and rents, parking and access difficulties as well as failure to manage and invest in the area.”

EMPTY shops are an all too familiar sight in Huddersfield.

Compared to recent years, 2010 shows more empty premises, especially on New Street and The Piazza Shopping centre.

Huddersfield shoppers all had very similar thoughts about the bare shop fronts in the town centre.

Aaron Worswick, 23, who is studying at Huddersfield University said: “There needs to be a better quality of shops in Huddersfield town centre. New Street looks bad compared to Kingsgate and The Packhorse Centre.

“The empty buildings should be filled with new shops”.

Retired couple Mr and Mrs Peter Lewthwaite said that they’d noticed the sparseness of the town centre.

Mr Lewthwaite said: “You can’t help but wonder if the rent is too high in the town centre. It’ll put off shops if it is too expensive.”

His wife said: “When we moved to Huddersfield 20 years ago, the town centre was completely different and had more to it.

“There needs to be more shops – shopping is the main reason why people come into town.”

She added: “There shouldn’t be a focus on fancy developments that no-one will use. Basic shops which will benefit everyone are more necessary.”

Another shopper Margaret Buckley, 60, a pensioner from Huddersfield, said: “The empty shop windows have become permanent, which is a shame.

“If they were to be filled it should be with more shops, Huddersfield used to be good for smaller shops but now they are all gone from the high street.”