Promoting Growth and Managing Centres

Promoting Growth and Managing Centres

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  Local planning authorities as part of their economic vision should set out a strategy for the management and growth of centres over the plan period. As part of this they should:
  
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    set flexible policies for centres;
    
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    define a network and hierarchy of centres;
    
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    define the extent of the centre and primary shopping area;
    
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    consider setting floorspace thresholds for edge of centre and out-of-centre development which should be subject to an impact assessment;
    
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    define any locally important impacts on centres which should be tested;
    
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    encourage residential or office development above ground floor retail, leisure or other facilities;
    
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    identify sites or building within existing centres suitable for development; and
    
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    use tools such as area action plans to address transport, land assembly, crime prevention planning and design issues associated with the growth and management of their centres (PPS4 EC3.1 (a-h).
    

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  Plans should promote retail investment where it assists in the regeneration and economic growth of the North West’s town and city centres. Proposals, schemes and investment made should be consistent with the scale and function of the centre and not undermine the vitality and viability of any other centre or result in the creation of unsustainable shopping patterns (RSS Policy W5)
  
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  Retail development that supports entrepreneurship, particularly increasing the number of independent retailers, should be supported (RSS Policy W5)
  

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  Identify roles and mechanisms for driving demand in the worst performing centres and enabling the more successful centres to meet retailer and customer requirements. Develop the emerging office market in Eccles and build on the retail centres of Swinton and Walkden (Salford West Regeneration Framework p.41).
  
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  Secure the provision of a comprehensive and accessible range of retail, leisure, social and community facilities through protecting the vitality and viability of town and neighbourhood centres, adopting a sequential approach to the location of new development and facilitating development which meets identified need, following the hierarchical approach to the location and scale of new development in order to achieve this (UDP Policy ST9)
  

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  Loss of shops through change of uses from A1 use to other uses will be resisted in defined town and neighbourhood centres where this would impact on the vitality and viability of the centre in question (UDP Policy S3)
  
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  Places where we live, shop, work, take recreation are more accessible and attractive when public toilets are well planned, designed, maintained, clearly signposted, and available when people need to use them (including late at night). They are one of a range of amenities that help to attract a more diverse range of visitors, encouraging them to spend longer in towns and city centres, and to visit again (Improving public access to better quality toilets p12).
  
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  Encourage a diverse range of complementary evening and night time uses which appeal to a wide range of age and social groups, making provision, where appropriate, for leisure, cultural and tourism activities such as cinemas, theatres, restaurants, public houses, bars, nightclubs and cafes (PPS4 para.EC4.2(a)).
  

CONSUMER CHOICE AND COMPETITION

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  Local planning authorities should proactively plan to promote competitive town centre environments and provide consumer choice by:
  

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  Supporting a diverse range of uses;
  
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  Planning for a strong retail mix;
  
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  Supporting shops, services and other important small scale economic uses in local centres and villages;
  
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  Identifying sites in centres, or failing that on the edge of the centres, capable of accommodating larger format development where a need has been identified;
  
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  Retaining and enhancing existing markets and, where appropriate, re-introducing or creating new ones; and
  
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  Taking measures to conserve and, where appropriate, enhance the established character and diversity of their town centres (PPS4 para.EC4.1)
  

EVIDENCE BASE AND MONITORING

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  At the local level the evidence base should: be informed by regional assessments, assess the detailed need for land or floorspace for economic development (including for all main town centre uses over the plan period); identify any deficiencies in the provision of local convenience shopping and other facilities to serve people’s day-to-day needs; and assess the capacity of existing centres to accommodate new town centre development taking account of the role of centres in the hierarchy and identify centres in decline where change needs to be managed (PPS4 para. EC1.3 (a, b, c and e).
  
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  When assessing the need for retail and leisure development local planning authorities should take account of the quantitative and qualitative need for additional floorspace (PPS4 para. EC1.4 (a and b) and give additional weight to meeting qualitative deficiencies in deprived areas which lack access to a range of services and facilities (PPS4 para. EC1.4(a and b) (PPG 13 para 19) (MCRSS Policy MR2).
  
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  When assessing quantitative need have regard to relevant market information and economic data, including a realistic assessment of existing and forecast population levels, forecast expenditure and forecast improvements in retail sales density (PPS4 para EC1.4 (c).
  
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  When assessing quantitative need for retail and leisure uses: assess whether there is provision and distribution of shopping, leisure and local services which allow genuine choice and take into account the degree to which shops may be overtrading and whether there is a need to increase competition and retail mix (PPS4 para. EC1.4 (d).
  
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  LPA’s are required to regularly monitor and review the impact and effectiveness of their policies for promoting vital and viable town centres (RSS Policy EC8) (RSS Policy W5)
  

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