BASILDON is among the worst towns in the country for empty shops, new data has revealed.

The Local Data Company has assessed the shop vacancy rate - how many shops and retail units are empty - for towns across the country.

It found that Basildon’s vacancy rate was 18 per cent, much higher than East Anglia’s average of 9.8 per cent.

Southend fared slightly better at 15.4 per cent and Canvey was shown to be the healthiest of the three at 10.3 per cent.

The LDC claimed the figures were due to the UK’s Referendum vote and subsequent decision to leave the EU.

However, David Burch, director of commerce at the Essex Chamber of Trade, said there were many reasons for the disappointing figures.

He said: “I suspect some of it is down to over development in the past.

“There have been quite a lot of sites in Basildon which may have resulted in more stores that need to be filled.

“Some of the big chains have been closing recently, such as BHS.

“This means that for smaller retailers a lot of the premises that are available are not really suitable.”

He added that high rents and rates might also put people off opening a shop and said it would be good if “honeymoon” periods were offered, where for the first few months, traders didn’t have to pay.

“People also need to be encouraged to go to the town,” he said.

“There should be improved parking.

“That is one of the issues that we hear regularly from businesses.”

He added that the availability of parking at out of town retail outlets, such as Lakeside, meant that people were often going there instead and taking trade out of town centres.

“They are absolutely in competition with town centre areas,” he said.

“We cannot just un-invent them so we have to think about ways we can be offering something different which will encourage people to go to town centres.”