A new report highlights how communities in Northumberland are breathing new life into their high streets and town centres by repurposing disused buildings into valuable community assets and housing schemes.

The report was commissioned by Communities CAN, the support hub for community-led housing in the North East of England and produced in collaboration with the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE). It presents compelling evidence of the long-term positive impact of community-led housing and regeneration projects.

It features case studies from Amble, Haltwhistle, Prudhoe, and Wooler, demonstrating how community organisations can take ownership of key high street properties to create sustainable solutions that benefit local people.

The decline of traditional high street staples such as banks, pubs, and major retailers has left many town centres struggling. However, the report showcases how community-led organisations are successfully filling these gaps—bringing much-needed housing, services, and vibrancy back to their local areas. By taking control of strategic properties, these groups are ensuring that spaces are repurposed in ways that serve the wider community and enable ongoing reinvestment.

Tom Johnston, Coordinator at Communities CAN, emphasised the importance of this evidence-based approach:

“Evidence – it's all about the evidence. In recent months, Communities CAN have been working with the NICRE team at Newcastle University to demonstrate the positive long-term impact that Community Led Housing has had on our communities and, in particular, the high streets and town centres that are at the heart of those communities. The evaluation speaks for itself – community ownership and management is a tool for changing the fortunes of communities and is doing exactly that in the county of Northumberland.”

The report not only provides key learnings from past projects but also serves as a call to action. It demonstrates that with the right support, similar initiatives can be replicated across the country, offering a sustainable model for reviving high streets and town centres nationwide.

For more information and to access the full report, please visit Communities CAN at www.communitiescan.org.uk