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Town Centre Use (e.g. Retail, Leisure or Offices) Assessment
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Government guidance is contained in Planning Policy Statement 6: Town Centres and Retail Developments, supplemented by ministerial statements.
For key town centre uses outside or on the edge of centres, the Council will require applicants to demonstrate the following evidence (paragraph references are to the Draft PPS6 for ease of reference, but the requirements are all contained in current guidance):
- The need for development (paragraphs 3.7 - 3.11);
- That the development is of an appropriate scale (paragraphs 3.12 - 3.13);
- That there are no sites closer to a centre for the development (paragraphs 3.14 - 3.20);
- That there are no unacceptable impacts on existing centres (paragraphs 3.21 - 3.24); and
- That locations are accessible (paragraphs 3.25 - 3.29).
As a general rule, the development should satisfy all these considerations. The policy applies to all proposals for shops, leisure and entertainment facilities, (including restaurants, bars, night-clubs, health and fitness centres); offices, cultural and community facilities, but the amount and nature of information and analysis required should be proportionate to the scale and nature of the proposal in relation to the size and role of the centre. More information on the details of site assessment will be found in Good Practice Guidance: Assessing Need and Impact of New Retail and Leisure Development [Forthcoming from ODPM]. It is essential to agree the scope of the Assessment with officers in the Planning Division.
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