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A good number of those properties you mention Kath have now had those rooms above the shops converted (back) into flats and let out, increasing the income for the landlords and/or leaseholders.
I pushed for these conversion years ago, giving the same positive slant on why they should be done, eventually the "No Use Empty" strategy was impleted (not just just because of me of course), I believe by the then Cabinet member at DDC, our very own Sue.
The trouble was/is, that then the conversions were complete, the housing associations took over the running and responsibility of most of them and because there were large numbers of registered homeless, they were given the flats and so we then had an even bigger problem in the Town Centre, because instead of "policing" the Town Centres, as it would have been with good quality residents, they were part of the problem.
I'm certainly not saying that every one who is homeless is a problem tenant, but the vast majority of the early ones were and the housing associations were very slow to react.
Roger