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Empty shops would be brought back to life under Labour plans to revive Britain’s high streets. 

Councils would be handed new powers to give boarded-up properties vacant for more than a year over to start-ups, cooperative businesses and community projects. 

Jeremy Corbyn believes the plan will help rejuvenate flagging town centres and offer a home to rookie firms or organisations working to improve local residents’ lives. 

Hiked business rates, high rents and changing shopping habits - with customers switching to online - have hammered traditional high streets. 

(Image: PA)

Labour says 29,000 ex-stores have been left empty for at least 12 months - and latest figures show one in 10 of all shops stands vacant. 

A May 2019 report by the Local Data Company found 4.8% of vacant space on high streets has been dormant for more than two years. 

Mr Corbyn, who will unveil the policy during a visit to Bolton, said tonight: “Boarded-up shops are a symptom of economic decay under the Conservatives and a sorry symbol of the malign neglect so many communities have suffered. 

“Once-thriving high streets are becoming ghost streets. 

(Image: Sunday Mirror)

“Labour has a radical plan to revive Britain’s struggling high streets by turning the blight of empty shops into the heart of the high street, with thousands of new businesses and projects getting the chance to fulfil their potential.” 

The move is a major boost for the Mirror’s High Street Fightback campaign and would operate on the same lines as “empty dwelling management orders”. 

Created by the 2004 Housing Act, they allow town halls to take unoccupied homes and bring them back into use as houses. 

However, critics said the device was rarely used. 

Under Labour’s plan, commercial premises would not be subject to compulsory purchase orders and the proposal would not interfere with ownership of the properties. 

Local councils would be able to charge businesses that enter the unoccupied sites fees to cover managements costs. 

Shadow Communities Secretary Andrew Gwynne said: “Under this Government, our high streets have suffered a retail apocalypse. 

“High street closures are at a historic high, leaving too many of our once thriving towns abandoned and awash with boarded up shop fronts. 

(Image: Mirrorpix)

“Labour’s radical plan will turn around the mess that the Tories have created and will give local authorities the power to make our high streets the pride of our communities that they once were.” 

Labour previously announced a five-point plan for Britain’s high streets. 

It includes banning cashpoint charges and stop bank branch and Post Office closures; improving bus services and offering under-25s free bus passes; creating free public Wi-Fi in town centres; setting-up a register of landlords of empty shops in each local authority and introducing annual revaluations of business rates. 

Communities Minister Jake Berry said: "This Government is determined to tackle the challenges facing our high streets, and that’s why we’ve slashed business rates by a third for small retailers and are investing £1billion to support high streets through our Future High Streets Fund. 

“Through our Open Doors Scheme we’re also helping to diversify high streets by revamping vacant properties, providing free spaces for community groups in town centres across England”.