On a small stretch of Smithdown Road, two new shops are available to rent at a cost of just £1 per month.
Entrepreneurs are being invited to submit their business ideas for the empty premises as part of the Shops for a Pound scheme. The project was first launched by Liverpool City Council back in 2016 with the aim of bringing empty shops in the Picton area back into use by offering them to small start-up businesses to refurbish after purchasing them for £1.
However, this changed and a developer paid for the refurbishment of six of the Smithdown Road shops under a revised scheme. Business owners like Taya Hughes, who opened her fashion boutique Seven Streets on Smithdown Road earlier this year, now pay £1 per month to rent the premises for the first three years.
READ MORE: Life in Liverpool's £1 houses that went from derelict terraces to family homes
Four of the £1 shops have been allocated to new businesses including Seven Streets, Fritto - an Italian street food business, a hair and beauty salon and a community café. But with two empty shops still available to rent, the council is now accepting applications from people who would like to open a new business there.
Taya told the ECHO: "Hopefully we'll have two new lovely businesses to join us because we really feel like we're a family here, because we've kind of walked the same journey even though we're completely different businesses.
"Firstly it's adding value to the area, because right behind us we've got the houses for a £1 and the majority of them were bought by individuals and they've really put their heart and soul into their homes, and it's kind of the same for us. We've put our hearts and soul into our businesses so I think it's just good for us to just grow this area, giving some new energy.
"For me, probably a florist would be a good addition because we've got Fritto next door, a boutique, hopefully soon a community café and I just feel like a florist is another reason to bring people to this part of Smithdown Road and it's a shop that people would love to come to."
"We need this area to grow much better than before"
As one of the first businesses to take part in the scheme, Taya said she had a long journey to get to where she is today but she has received a flood of support from the local community since opening Seven Streets five months ago. Taya described this part of Smithdown Road as "up and coming" and she would also like to see a healthy takeaway or restaurant open in one of the empty units, with a focus on vegetarian food.
People who are interested in opening a business in one of the empty units at number 153 and 157 Smithdown Road must have a full business plan and the finance in place. However, the council has stressed that bookies, fast food takeaways, tanning salons, off licences, pubs and pay day loan shops will not be permitted.
Once the three years are up, the rent for the shops will increase from £1 a month to £400 a month for years four and five. The rent is then expected to revert back to market rental rates.
Longer standing business owners on the street like Yannis Karapavlos, 63, who owns A&A Takeaway Cafe, are also keen to see new shops opening in the area and hope it will bring more footfall to the top end of Smithdown Road. Yannis first opened a grocery shop on Smithdown Road back in 1992, which later changed hands to become a café following the opening of Asda in the early 2000s.
Yannis said: "If you don't have money to start up that's the biggest obstacle for people to start, especially young people. It's a good opportunity especially for young people if they have an idea, it's a very good idea.
"When there's another [business] they create a place where people can come, like Lark Lane. Anyone who has an idea, anything the council will allow to open, is welcome. The more the better. It's nice to see the neighbourhood thriving."
Ali Karimi, 30, who opened his shop at 135 Smithdown Road a few months ago, supports the council's decision only to allow certain businesses to open as part of the Shops for a Pound scheme. Ali said: "The council is right with who they [said can] apply, it needs to be something like a new business because there's many takeaways, off licences and mini markets in the area.
"It needs to be something that makes people come more and more [to the area] because this is like new city centre. We need this area to grow much better than before."
However, Ali said the scheme won't be without its challenges for other start up businesses who may find it difficult establish themselves in the area initially. He said: "If something is a popular shop people come from outside of the area to come to the shop and this makes the area much better, but if you start from beginning it will take time for people to come down."
What new business ECHO readers would like to see
We asked our readers what they would like to see open in the £1 shops and here's what they had to say:
Samantha Williams said: "I'd do a community café that offers free cooking lessons for adults and kids."
Michelle Cook said: "We would open a butchers and hot counter affordable to everyone."
Hayley Pimblett-Delaney said: "I’m a cake maker and would love to open a little vintage tea rooms, serving afternoon teas in china cups and on china plates etc. The current economic climate would put me off though. Quitting my full time job would be too risky for me."
Tracy Pethard said: "Somewhere for youth to go and relax with qualified staff, cheap drinks and snacks. During the day, young babies and toddlers, after school time/teatime - young persons, safer than hanging around the streets."
Jujuqu McQue said: "Book shop/café/acoustic night type of place."
Jack Farron said: "Poundland obviously, rent paid after one purchase."
Donna Bernadette Fitzpatrick said: "Soup, salad and sarnie shop."
Casey Feeney said: "Mum and baby café or maybe parent and baby café, where you can come have a cuppa, a bite to eat and let the kids play. So basically fun café but also for parents to have a cuppa and let their child learn and play with other children? But also help parents who don’t really like getting out of the house for whatever reason of their own."
Shona Lennon said: "Arts and crafts community café?"
Muaagh Iqbal said: "Vintage clothing."
Sian Holden New said: "Something for the homeless, give them a warm meal and a place to stay/sleep."
For more information on the Shops for a Pound scheme and how to apply click here. The closing date for expressions of interest is Monday, August 8.
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