State property register

The Department of State keeps a record of the commercial premises of Ridgeway — one record for each address. The register shows the tenure recorded against every address and which business occupies it, and the Department lets the vacant premises to registered businesses. A live registered business may also apply for premises rather than wait to be offered them — an application is a proposal and not a hold, so it neither reserves the address nor stops the Department letting it to another business (how leasing state premises works). Information from this register is provided free of charge.