A year on from The Northern Echo's first set of special reports on Durham's Silver Street, retail expert Graham Soult revisited the street to assess whether business owners acted on his recommendations. 

This time last year, Durham’s Silver Street was looking somewhat under the weather, as shop units once occupied by national brands sat empty. Meanwhile, the necessary post-Covid transformation from “clone town” high street to a more independent and diverse offer was still at an early stage.

Back then, I explained about the evolution that was taking place, and highlighted what we could look forward to. Now, twelve months on, Silver Street has visibly turned a corner.

Read more: Durham's Silver Street revived by independent retailers/restaurants

As promised, units being worked on a year ago now host new arrivals, such as national health food retailer Grape Tree in the ground floor of the old Topshop. There, and elsewhere in the street, vacant or underused upper levels have been converted into student housing. Modern retailers rarely want to trade from multiple floors, so repurposing excess space for other uses lowers rents and rates for businesses, and generates activity and surveillance that help create a safer place after dark.

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The Northern Echo: Graham Soult is a retail consultant and owner of Canny Insights. Graham Soult is a retail consultant and owner of Canny Insights. (Image: Graham Soult)

Up the street, eateries Kokoro and Tortilla are trading successfully from the old Hotter and Clintons sites, while a relocated Vodafone has brought renewed life to the old post office after six years vacant.

However, what is most exciting about the new Silver Street is the presence of distinctive Durham independents. Local jeweller Moon, which upsized to the ex-EE store in April, has transformed the street’s lower stretch with its vibrant window displays. Nearby, more shoppers are discovering the wonderful Durham Ginstitute, after it relocated from New Elvet in October. As businesses like these grow, the premises they vacate provide opportunities for new arrivals, with Moon’s previous site opening soon as Taiwanese bubble tea shop T4 Tea for You.

The Northern Echo: The same shopfront a year apart - in 2021, it was a boarded up former EE, now it is an independent jewellery shop. The same shopfront a year apart - in 2021, it was a boarded up former EE, now it is an independent jewellery shop. (Image: Graham Soult/Graham Galpin)

There are more openings to come, too. You may have spotted work happening on site at the former Mountain Warehouse and Superdry stores – both now under offer. And, of course, the plan for container-chic venue STACK to open in the ex-M&S has generated much excitement, and will bring even more independent food and drink operators to the city.

While all quality city centre investment is welcome, we do hear the grumbles about Durham needing more actual shops. Clearly, none of us are passive bystanders here – whenever you shop at the Arnison Centre, or order from Amazon, it makes the case for selling products like clothes, electricals or shoes on the high street that bit harder.

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As I’ve argued before, one of the biggest challenges here is business rates – determined by national government, and based, illogically, on the “rateable value” of the property being occupied, rather than the sales or profits of whoever trades there. This is partly why retail parks – where land values are usually lower – have sucked big-name stores away from city centres.

Happily, the latest revaluation of business rates from 1 April 2023 will see most Durham city centre retailers paying less – in many cases, a cut of about a third. In the absence, for now, of wholesale reform, cheaper business rates certainly won’t harm our efforts to hook in more new stores, especially in prime locations like Prince Bishops Place.

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Even now, people wanting to buy “things” – rather than meals and haircuts – do have some great new options. For example, independent bookshop Collected, at The Riverwalk, is an excellent example of how you beat Amazon by curating a distinctive offer, providing wonderful service, and developing an enticing programme of in-store events.

Durham in 2022 shows that retail and the high street are far from dead. By supporting and celebrating what we already have – rather than talking the city down – we can all play our part in making it even better. 

Graham Soult runs the retail consultancy CannyInsights.com, and manages the Indie Durham City business support project on behalf of City of Durham Parish Council. For more information, visit indiedurhamcity.co.uk.