Has the rise in empty shops peaked? The Local Data Company (LDC) thinks so.

If it is proved right, said director Matthew Hopkinson, “it is time to take positive action to address the 23,406 empty shops that lie in our top 650 town centres with a similar number outside these town centres”.

His comment was prompted by news that LDC figures showed the shop vacancy rate fell in May for the first time in three months.

The drop, of a tiny 0.1 per cent, brought the country’s vacancy rate down to 14.5 per cent from the 14.6 per cent it had experienced over the previous three months.

“The good news is that the shop vacancy rates have within the 14-14.6 per cent range since August 2010, whilst prior to this we recorded a three-fold increase,” said Mr Hopkinson.

“Assuming that nothing unforeseen happens to the UK economy and that this month’s quarter-rent-day does not trigger any retailer administrations then we might have reached the peak in the number of vacant shops in Great Britain.”