Everybody needs access to shops to buy food and other goods. Market forces drove the early developments in retailing (see Retail change in UK) influencing how and where people shop.
During the 1980s the Conservative Government lifted many planning restrictions in the belief that enterprise would be free to locate wherever a commercial advantage could be identified and obtained. The result saw entrepreneurs such as Sir John Hall (Metro Centre) take advantage of the opportunities presented by these changes and the incentives offered by Regional Development Agencies to build out of town retail parks and superstores. (Business Parks and Science Parks were also built as a result of these planning changes). The result was a proliferation of small to medium sized retail and business parks, together with several very large out of town shopping and leisure complexes such as the Metro Centre, Trafford Centre, Lakeside and Bluewater. For most, these relied upon access by car from the existing motorway network.
The result of the above led in many cases to a direct decline in traditional High Streets and Town Centres with lost shops and investment. Choice for those limited to walking and using public transport was significantly impacted.
More recent Government Guidance has reversed the above policy and the emphasis is firmly back on investing in existing centres
PROBLEMS STILL REMAIN
- lack of large sites for investment
- existing shops often too small for modern retailing needs
- Town centre cloning due to retail chain corporate identity requirements
- parking and congestion
PLANNING AND RETAILING
The Government now supports a PLAN LED approach to retailing as opposed to the 1980s MARKET-LED approaches.
Market processes operated in an enviornment in which the ability to pay the market rate took precedent over any local or national concerns. Very often objectors could not afford to outbid the developer and the development proceeded with minimal consultation and opportunity for independent arbitration.
Planning processes are much more sturctured and provide local authority planners with a means by which they can:
- canvass opinion from the local community
- listen to the developers proposals
- maintain overall development control
A refusal to grant planning approval by a local authority may lead to an appeal by the developer, which in turn may involve the appeal going to a higher government office. Large scale developments such as the London Olympic site in East London and Terminal 5 at Heathrow, involved the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister with Official Public Enquiries.
The planning process is both costly and time consuming and may not always be successful until several submissions and consultations have been made.
Planning committees have to weigh up:
- the gains from the proposal against its negative aspects
- the conflicts between differeing groups within the local community
- the wider benefits of a local scheme.
In making a retail application the developer must submit a DEVELOPMENT PLAN which should contain policies to support and strengthen the vitality and viability of the scheme, including the potential for community benefits of retail, leisure and community benefit.
The criteria for Retail Development Plans are:
- Plans should have coherent parking strategies and enhance the opportunities for public transport and cycle access.
- Plans should also protect 'core' retail areas.
- The planning process supports additional investment in apsects such as environmental enhancements, pedestrian safety and access for all.
Planning legislation now requires applications to undertake a 'sequential test' to ensure that sites in town centres or their edges to be utilised before new out of or edge of town will be considered, i.e., the developer must first consider the town centre or CBD, then suburban sites before edge of town.
EXPLORING PERSONAL ATTITUDES AND VALUES
Conflicts such as out of town retail shopping developments provide an opportunity for you to consider your own attitudes and values, as well as considering those of others.
Attitudes - a set of beliefs that predispose a person, group or organisation to perceive and act towards people, situations and environments in a particular way.
Values - are the extent to which people attach a weight or worth to those attitudes.
People with different attitudes will hold a range of views about any proposed development. In basic terms they are "in favour" or "against."
CASE STUDY: TESCO & HARROGATE
BACKGROUND
Harrogate is currently one of only four postcode areas in the UK without any Tesco presence (the others are Shetlands, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides). This was revealed with research that showed that Tesco is the dominant retailer in 67% of postcode areas in the UK - for further information please read an article in the Guardian. However, it has emerged that Tesco has owned a site in Harrogate for the past 3 years, off Ripon Road in North Harrogate.
The desire of Tesco to open a store in Harrogate has prompted a great deal of reaction from a wide range of groups. Harrogate Advertiser have been running an online monitor of this for sometime. In addition, Tesco's position as a leading supermarket has also triggered wide ranging interest both positive (regional support) and negative. (local blog)
The details of Tescos planning application can be viewed here (download the development plan pdf) from Associated DocumentsThe current situation is that Tecso has withdrawn its current application to review the Development Plan.
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