Section Nine: Town centres and retailing
Principles for town centres and retailing
9.1 The three main and four local centres have a vital role in providing a range of services and facilities for their own populations and the wider area. The centres of these towns and villages have a concentration of shopping, commercial, cultural, leisure and other key local services. The Core Strategy recognises this by defining a “Primary Shopping Area” for each, within which preference will be given to retail and related town centre uses. In the case of the three main towns, these are also classified as “Town Centres”, which will allow them to accommodate some larger scale uses. Policy RT1 sets out the principles for town centres and retailing.
9.2 The main aim for the Primary Shopping Areas is to ensure that they maintain their vitality and viability. Regular health checks will be carried out to monitor this, looking at aspects such as the level of occupancy of shop units and pedestrian flows. Tynedale’s proximity to major retail centres such as Newcastle and the Metrocentre means that inevitably significant expenditure flows out of the District. The principles set out here are based on seeking to stem future leakage of expenditure from the towns and possibly “claw back” some past leakage but recognising that the regional centres will continue to attract substantial spending by Tynedale residents.
9.3 Within the context of maintaining healthy and vital central areas, the Council has concluded that the most important principle is to focus on improving on the existing qualities of Tynedale’s Primary Shopping Areas. This means, to some extent, accepting that there will be a continuing flow of expenditure to major retail centres outside of the District. The aim will be to build on particular strengths of centres in Tynedale – such as a range of smaller independent and specialist shops and their attractive environments and historic character. Additional floorspace of the right scale and quality will be encouraged but not to the extent that the vitality, viability, historic or environmental character of a centre would come under threat.
Core Strategy Policy RT1
The principles for town centres and retailing, in accordance with the principles set out in Planning Policy Statement 6, are to:
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Maintain and enhance the vitality and viability of Primary Shopping Areas
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Give priority to enhancing the quality and attractiveness of Primary Shopping Areas through environmental improvements, traffic and access management and encouraging good quality new development where appropriate.
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Only seek to accommodate additional floorspace for retail and other town centre uses where it would not adversely affect the vitality, viability, historic or environmental character of Primary Shopping Areas or the main towns or local centres generally.
Policy RT1 Implementation and Monitoring Framework Implementation:
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Allocation of sites for development in the Site Allocation DPD.
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Development of detailed policies in the Development Control DPD.
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Decisions on planning applications.
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Undertaking, encouraging and supporting enhancement schemes.
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Seeking to influence the Local Transport Plan.
Monitoring:
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Decisions on planning applications.
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Monitoring of development approved as a departure from this policy.
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Monitor vitality and viability of Primary Shopping Areas in particular vacancy rates, uses of buildings, pedestrian flows, business and shopper surveys.
Primary Shopping Areas
9.4 Following on from the principles above, Primary Shopping Areas for each of the main towns and local centres are defined on the Proposals Map and there will be a general presumption in favour of retail and other town centre uses within them.
9.5 The historic town of Hexham is the geographical, administrative and commercial centre of Tynedale. It has a range of shops and services including a department store and continues to have a traditional market day with a full size market. The tightly defined historic core means that some activities, including food and other retailing, have spread onto “edge-of-centre” sites. The town centre is subject to some changes relating to possible closures, outstanding planning permissions and other pressures for development. It is influenced by tourism and serves a wide rural area.
9.6 Prudhoe is located closer to Tyneside and comes strongly under its influence. It nevertheless provides a variety of retail outlets and services in a linear form. It meets largely local needs.
9.7 Haltwhistle is the most westerly of the three District centres, near to major tourist destinations. It has a range of shops and services, including many independent businesses, plus a small market. It serves the needs of the surrounding rural area.
9.8 Below this level, the local centres of Corbridge, Haydon Bridge, Allendale and Bellingham provide essential retail and service facilities for their own populations and, in some cases, for a wider rural hinterland.
9.9 Whilst Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle are all main towns, Hexham is the principal shopping centre; it accounts for some 80% of the total retail floorspace in the three towns and draws shoppers from throughout the District. It is well served for convenience goods shopping and the Tynedale Retail Study, commissioned by the Council in 2006, foresees no significant need for further such floor space during the period covered by this Strategy. However, the Study suggests that there could be appreciable growth in spending on non-food, comparison goods that might support an additional 11,600 sq m (net) of floor space for this purpose by 2021, roughly about half as much space again as there is in total in the town centre now.
9.10 The Retail Study also suggests that there is some scope for additional food shopping floor space of around 750 sq m (net) in both Prudhoe and Haltwhistle over the Core Strategy period, to help retain spending there and widen choice; and possibly also for non-food floor space in both centres (Prudhoe, 930 sq m and Haltwhistle, 670 sq m). Any such development would have to be located and planned so as to underpin the town centres.
9.11 The extent to which these needs will be met, where and in what ways, including the possibility of provision on the edge of the Primary Shopping Areas, will be considered through review of the Core Strategy or a further Development Plan Document.
9.12 Proposals outside Primary Shopping Areas will be assessed against the tests of need, scale, sequential approach, impact and accessibility in national planning policy in Planning Policy Statement 6, Planning for Town Centres.
Core Strategy Policy RT2
Primary Shopping Areas are defined on the Proposals Map in line with the following hierarchy:
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Main town centres at Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle
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Local centres at Allendale, Bellingham, Corbridge and Haydon Bridge The development of retail and other town centre uses will be permitted within the Primary Shopping Areas.
Policy RT2 Implementation and Monitoring Framework Implementation:
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Allocation of sites for development in the Site Allocation DPD.
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Development of detailed policies in the Development Control DPD.
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Decisions on planning applications.
Monitoring:
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Monitoring of development approved as a departure from this policy
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Monitoring the location of applications approved for retail and other town centre uses.
Primary Shopping Frontages
9.13 The aim of a Primary Shopping Frontage is to retain vitality and viability by maintaining a high level of shopping use – i.e. by not allowing premises to change to other town centre uses such as offices, cafes or takeaways. These uses are, instead, mainly limited to more peripheral parts of the Primary Shopping Area.
9.14 Policy RT3 sets out the intention to apply this approach to specific frontages within the Primary Shopping Areas of Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle. The definitions of the frontages and the proportions of these frontages that will be retained in “Use Class A1” retail use have been determined through consultation with local interests.
Core Strategy Policy RT3
Primary shopping frontages are defined on the Proposals Map for Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle in order to maximise the proportion of A1 retail uses. The change of use of a ground floor frontage from A1 retail will not be permitted if it would result in the overall proportion of A1 uses in the primary shopping frontage falling below the minimum set out below:
Hexham - 85% of ground floor frontage
Prudhoe - 80% of ground floor frontage
Haltwhistle – 50% of ground floor frontage
Policy RT3 Implementation and Monitoring Framework Implementation:
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Allocation of sites for development in the Site Allocation DPD.
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Development of detailed policies in the Development Control DPD.
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Decisions on planning applications.
Monitoring:
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Monitoring of development approved as a departure from this policy.
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Monitoring of % of A1 uses within the Primary Shopping Frontages.