Government policy to protect town centres

 

The government have recently released a policy document which primary aim is to protect Town Centre Shopping.    The document known as Draft Planning Policy 5 (PPS5) which is concerned with Retailing, Town Centres and Commercial Developments is focused on large out-of-town and edge-of-town retail outlets. 

 

With many town centres struggling to compete with out of town developments it is anticipated that this document will address the current trend of retail leakage to out of town developments and any future developments will be judged against specific criteria and must show to whether there is a specific need for such development.

 

The primary objective of the policy is, to sustain and enhance the vitality of town centres in a manner consistent with achieving the strategic objectives of the regional development strategy for Northern Ireland 2005.

 

Secondary objectives to the policy include promoting sustainable development located where there are good public transport services, the designs of buildings should contribute positively to the townscape and be sensitive to the surrounding area, the retail mix should be efficient, competitive and innovative offering consumer choice and consistent with the overall commitment to town centres and to maintain a hierarchy and network of centres consistent with the overall commitment to town centres.

 

Government minister, David Cairns has referred the document for public consultation and has given until November for comments to be made.

 

He said “it will not mean no more out-of-town developments, but what it will mean is that if anyone is proposing to open a store out of town, they will have to go through a series of hoops first.”

 

“They will have to demonstrate that they could not have put the same development, the same shops, in towns or city centres and that they couldn’t have built on developments that are already there, and that the development they are putting in place won’t have a very sever detrimental effect on town centres and city centres.”