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| TOWN, DISTRICT AND LOCAL CENTRES | |||
| 272. | The town, district and local centres in the Borough are an invaluable resource contributing to sustainable development. They provide a concentration of shops, leisure, cultural and entertainment facilities, public services and places of employment and are accessible by public transport, walking and cycling. Their economic performance has been threatened by the forces of out-of-centre competition and this Plan brings forward a policy emphasis aimed at sustaining and enhancing their vitality and viability in line with the policy objectives set out in PPS6 Planning for Town Centres. | ||
| 273. | Retailing is an important feature in everyone's life and of great significance to the economy. Despite periodic dips in the economic cycle, growth in retailing is likely to continue. This generates opportunities both for new forms of retail development and for the modernisation and improvement of town, district and local centres. This Plan includes policies and proposals which seek to ensure that wherever possible this growth takes place in the Borough's centres. | ||
| 274. | The Borough possesses two town centres serving two distinct and separate catchment areas. Waterlooville Town Centre serves the western area of the Borough including residential settlements lying within the administration boundary of Winchester. Havant Town Centre serves the eastern area of the Borough including Hayling Island and areas lying within West Sussex. In addition, there are four district shopping centres, at Emsworth, Leigh Park, Cowplain and Hayling Island. The greatest proportion of the Borough's retail floor space (68%) is located within the town and district centres. The small local centres, parades and corner shops account for 16% of total floor space and out-of-centre stores account for the remainder. | ||
| TC1 | HIERARCHY OF CENTRES | ||
| Planning permission will be granted for development of a scale and of a kind which acknowledges the different roles each of the Borough's centres performs in accordance with the following hierarchy. | |||
| TOWN CENTRES Havant, Waterlooville |
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| DISTRICT CENTRES Emsworth, Leigh Park, Cowplain, Mengham/Gable Head |
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| LOCAL CENTRES Milton Road, Hambledon Road, Grassmere Way, Purbrook, Widley, Crookhorn, Middle Park Way, Bedhampton, West Town, Rails Lane, Creek Road. |
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| 275. | The purpose of this policy is to maintain a balance between centres which recognises the different roles they perform in meeting the shopping and other needs of the populations they serve. Retail hierarchy is determined by a number of factors but principally by the size of the centre, its catchment area and the number and presence of multiple retailers and other facilities. | ||
| 276. | The two largest centres in the Borough are Havant and Waterlooville which, whilst providing a convenience day to day shopping function, also provide a comparison role with greater market shares in the non-food sector than district and local centres. Leigh Park District Centre is the principal district centre as it possesses a greater number of multiple retailers in comparison with Mengham/Gable Head, Cowplain and Emsworth. As a consequence Leigh Park District Centre performs a more significant non-food shopping role than the three other district centres. The local centres perform a much more limited role than the town and district centres and generally provide for the day to day shopping needs of local residents. Some local centres include community facilities which help maintain centre vitality and this is acknowledged by the Plan through the definition of centre boundaries. | ||
| 277. | The boundaries of all the town, district and local centres are shown on the Inset Maps. Generally the boundaries of local and district centres encompass the commercial core of these centres. The boundaries of the two town centres are drawn more widely to acknowledge their wider role in providing a broader range of facilities and services which fulfil a community and civic function in addition to that of shopping. | ||
| 278. | Planning permission may be granted for development which changes the existing retail hierarchy if it can be established that there will be a net benefit to the shopping public by doing so and which does not seriously affect the vitality and viability of nearby centres. | ||
| TC2 | MAINTENANCE AND ENHANCEMENT OF CENTRES | ||
| Planning permission will be granted for development which maintains and/or enhances the vitality and viability of town, district and local centres by: | |||
| (i) | Supporting the primary function of centres. | ||
| (ii) | Diversifying land uses in centres, in particular employment and educational opportunities, leisure, entertainment, cultural facilities and housing accommodation. | ||
| (iii) | Maintaining or improving the level of housing, the amenity and environment including the implementation of environmental enhancement schemes and traffic management schemes. | ||
| (iv) | Improving access for public transport, pedestrians, cyclists and people with impaired mobility. | ||
| 279. | The Council will encourage development proposals in existing centres which will enhance diversity and contribute to their vitality and viability. Certain types of development proposals can help increase the attractiveness and use of centres but it is shopping in particular which underpins the strength of centres. Proposed developments should not therefore undermine the retail function of centres by causing an overall loss in the quality of shopping opportunities. | ||
| 280. | In accordance with Government support for mixed-use development, the Council will support schemes which deliver a range of uses on one site. This could include housing, community facilities, leisure and business as well as retail. Different, but complementary uses, during the day and evening, can reinforce each other, making centres more attractive to local residents, shoppers and visitors. This plan includes a number of site-specific proposals where mixed-use schemes would be supported and to encourage such developments, the Council will take a flexible approach to car parking and other development control standards. The Waterlooville Town Centre Urban Design Framework (October 2004) identifies a number of sites with potential for mixed-use development in the town centre. An urban design framework is also being prepared for Havant Town Centre. | ||
| 281. | Mixed use schemes may be sought in respect of proposals where the ground floor area is greater than 3,500 sq m gross for town centre locations, greater than 2,500 sq m gross for district centre locations and greater than 1,500 sq m gross for local centre locations. Where development proposals have a ground floor area below these thresholds, single use schemes will usually be considered appropriate. Where proposals for single use schemes, particularly retail schemes, are sought above the floorspace thresholds desired, applicants will be required to submit a statement with the application outlining why a single use development is appropriate. This could include a financial appraisal explaining why a mix of uses is not viable and/or a statement outlining the incompatibility of providing a mix of uses on the same site. | ||
| 282. | The Council itself will play a key role in the process of maintaining vitality and viability by bringing forward its own proposals for environmental enhancement schemes and traffic management measures. | ||
| 283. | Development which contributes towards the provision of infrastructure enabling access to centres by means other than the private car will be encouraged. Quick and easy access in and around centres, especially by public transport, and the provision of safe pedestrian and cycle routes will assist in reducing reliance on the private car for shopping and other purposes. The Council will also expect development to improve access for people with impaired mobility. | ||
| 284. | The vitality and viability of centres will be monitored over time, having regard to a number of the performance indicators set out in paragraph 4.4 of PPS6. The likely impact of development proposals will, where appropriate, be assessed against the performance indicators. In addition, the Council will encourage partnerships with other public and private agencies who have a common interest in promoting town centre vitality and viability and will also seek the most effective ways to continue to support the process of town centre management. | ||
| TC3 | SEQUENTIAL APPROACH FOR RETAIL, COMMERCIAL AND OTHER USES | ||
| Planning permission will be granted for all types of retail, commercial and other appropriate town centre uses within the defined boundaries of town centres. In the absence of suitable available town centre sites for such development and providing a need for the development can be shown, consideration will be given to edge-of-centre, district and local centre sites before out-of-centre sites. | |||
| 285. | Shopping and leisure development should, where possible, be located within existing centres. Maintaining and enhancing the range and quality of shops in centres, especially the comparison shopping element, is important to safeguard centre vitality and viability in line with Policy TC2. Developers and retailers are urged to adopt a flexible approach towards store formats, including smaller, more compact stores and towards reducing car parking requirements to help accommodate new retail development within existing centres. Where in-centre sites are not available it will be necessary to examine edge-of-centre sites. PPS6 provides a definition as to what sites constitute edge-of-centre sites and this is amplified in the Supplementary Planning Guidance Town Centres and Out-of-Centre Development published by Hampshire County Council in 1998. | ||
| 286. | Not all the Borough's centres have sites which are suitable, viable and available for new retail or commercial development. In Emsworth, its designation as a Conservation Area limits opportunities for expansion or redevelopment. In the other district centres there are little or no opportunities for development or redevelopment within or on the edge-of-centres because of the constraints imposed by the proximity of existing residential development. An edge-of-centre site has been developed for retail warehousing at Waterlooville Town Centre. In Havant there are suitable sites for retail and commercial development and this Plan makes provision for this by site specific allocation at Potash Terrace and Solent Road. | ||
| TC4 | OUT-OF-CENTRE DEVELOPMENT | ||
| Planning permission will be granted for retail and leisure development outside centres providing: | |||
| (i) | there is an identified need both in quantitative and qualitative terms for additional shopping and leisure provision which cannot appropriately be met on sites within defined centres or on the edge-of-centres, or allocated in this Plan; | ||
| (ii) | the proposal would not individually or cumulatively with other recently completed or committed retail or leisure development undermine the vitality and viability of any existing defined centre or would not individually or cumulatively with other recently completed or committed retail or leisure development undermine the viability of any committed scheme which is located in or adjacent to an existing town, district or local centre; | ||
| (iii) | the site is accessible by public transport, is not likely to significantly increase the number and length of car journeys and makes adequate provision for access by cyclists and pedestrians; and | ||
| (iv) | the development is proposed on sites allocated for housing, employment or open space where it can be demonstrated that the need for such allocated use no longer exists or where suitable alternative replacement land/premises can be made available for the displaced use. | ||
| 287. | For the purposes of this policy 'defined centres' refers to all town, district and local centres set out in Policy TC1 whose boundaries are depicted on the Proposals Map. New shopping development outside existing centres will not be appropriate unless there is clear evidence of need and no town centre, edge-of-centre or allocated site is available. | ||
| 288. | Sites for retail development outside centres have in the past been developed for food superstores or large retail warehousing requiring extensive floorspace for the sale of bulky goods. These shopping opportunities have extended the range and choice of facilities. However, out-of-town stores typically rely on car borne trade and in the case of food shopping in particular cater for predominantly single purpose trips. This single purpose trip compares unfavourably with town centres, where reliance on the car is lower and a single trip can achieve several purposes. There is a need to guide all types of shopping development, including food superstore and retail warehouses to locations which help to reduce car use and offer a choice of means of transport, encourage urban regeneration and enhance the attractiveness, vitality and viability of the Borough's centres. | ||
| 289. | Developers will be expected to submit a retail capacity and impact study including a sequential site search with any planning application for development outside existing centres. However, some retail provision within rural areas, such as farm shops or garden centres, may be considered favourably provided the majority of floorspace is devoted to goods that are produced on site. | ||
| 290. | All new shopping and leisure development should be accessible by a choice of means of transport, particularly public transport. The number and length of car journeys likely to be associated with the proposed development will be a key consideration for the purposes of development control. | ||
| 291. | The cumulative impact of out-of-centre proposals should not adversely affect the overall range and quality of shopping facilities or leisure facilities within centres, undermine plans for, the redevelopment and revitalisation of centres, or undermine the principal thrust of Government and Structure Plan policies aimed at focusing new development in or on the edge of existing centres. In assessing applications for development which may have an impact on nearby town, district or local centres, the Council will have regard to the tests set out in para 3.22 of PPS6 and to the Supplementary Planning Guidance Town Centre and Out-of-Centre Development. It may be appropriate to attach planning conditions to restrict the main range of goods to be sold from out-of-town and edge-of-centre stores and also to include conditions to prevent the subdivision of retail units so that the development is not changed in character over time to become the kind of development for which planning permission would not have been granted in the first instance. | ||
| 292. | Retail and leisure development is not appropriate on land allocated for other uses within this Plan, in particular land reserved for housing, employment or open space, unless the Council is satisfied that there is no longer a need to safeguard a site for other purposes or in respect of industrial land meets the requirements of Policy EMP 6. | ||
| TC5 | MARKETS | ||
| Planning permission will be granted for markets either in the open or under cover providing they are acceptable in terms of visual amenity, vehicular and pedestrian access, parking and highway safety and do not create unacceptable noise and disturbance to the occupiers of nearby property. | |||
| 293. | Markets can add vitality to established centres and are of interest in themselves in other locations. Where the effects of a proposed market are uncertain the Council will consider granting temporary planning permission so that the effects can be monitored. Where it is proposed to establish permanent markets outside existing town, district and local centres the Council will have regard to the ability of nearby centres to withstand significant trade diversion and any consequent impact this could have on their continuing vitality and viability. In appropriate circumstances it may be necessary to grant planning permission subject to conditions to control litter, parking, traffic management, operating hours, collection and storage of refuse. The Council also has certain non-planning proprietary controls on the establishment of new markets but these are not covered in this Plan. | ||
| CHANGES OF USE | |||
| 294. | Policies TC6, 7 and 8, controlling changes of use, apply to all town and district centres without distinction as do the target representation percentages for Class A1 uses. Each centre has defined primary and secondary frontages and, in the larger centres, tertiary frontages as well. The criteria applying to applications for changes of use in respect of premises located in primary frontages is stricter than those relating to secondary frontages as it is intended to maintain a higher proportion of Class A1 uses in those locations. Rental tone surveys have been carried out by commercial agents for all centres and these surveys have helped define the boundary between primary and secondary frontages. Whilst it is clearly important to maintain the level of retail activity, there is scope for further diversification in the town centres within the secondary and tertiary frontages for uses such as leisure, showrooms and offices. | ||
| TC6 | CHANGES OF USE - PRIMARY FRONTAGES | ||
| Planning applications for Class A2, A3, A4, A5 and other service sector uses, including leisure and entertainment uses, will be permitted in the primary shopping frontages shown on the Proposals Map provided: | |||
| (i) | this would not lead to the concentration of, or creation of, adjacent non-retail uses at ground floor level such that this would begin to undermine the retail function of the primary shopping frontages; and | ||
| (ii) | the premises will be open to visiting members of the public. | ||
| 295. | It is considered vitally important to ensure there is a balance between retail and non-retail uses in the town and district centres if their continued attraction to residents is to be maintained. Whilst branches of the clearing banks, financial institutions and other non-retail uses offering services to the public are important, the Council is concerned that these uses should not be allowed to dominate primary frontages in a way which undermines the retail function of a particular centre. The Council will therefore examine the extent to which the retail function of a centre may be undermined by a proposal as to either the whole of the primary frontages or particular sections of them. In terms of the concentration test the policy is aimed at maintaining a 60% baseline target of Class A1 retail representation. This will be measured by unit count and, in certain circumstances, by linear measurement of shopfronts. When planning permission is granted for a non-retail use it may be appropriate to impose a condition requiring a window display to be installed and maintained. | ||
| TC7 | CHANGES OF USE - SECONDARY FRONTAGES | ||
| Planning applications for Class A2, A3, A4 and A5 and other service sector uses including leisure and entertainment will be permitted in the secondary shopping frontages shown on the Proposals Map provided: | |||
| (i) | this would not lead to the concentration of non-retail uses at ground floor level such that this would begin to undermine the retail function of the secondary shopping frontages; and | ||
| (ii) | the premises will be open to visiting members of the public. | ||
| 296. | Most non-retail uses will be acceptable in secondary shopping frontages subject to the concentration test. The concentration of continuous non-retail frontages would be detrimental to the vitality and attractiveness of a centre and the Council will have regard to this when considering a planning application for change of use. In terms of the concentration test the policy is aimed at maintaining a 40% baseline target of Class A1 retail representation. This will be measured by unit counts and, in certain circumstances, by linear measurement of shopfronts. When planning permission is granted for a non-retail use it may be appropriate to impose a condition requiring a window display to be installed and maintained. | ||
| TC8 | CHANGES OF USE - TERTIARY FRONTAGES | ||
| Planning applications for residential accommodation, Class A2, A3, A4, A5 and B1(a) and other service sector uses, including leisure and entertainment will be permitted at ground floor level in the tertiary shopping frontages shown on the Proposals Map provided they are appropriate in scale and contribute to the vitality and viability of the centre as a whole. | |||
| 297. | Non-retail uses will be encouraged in the tertiary frontages in those centres where tertiary frontages are defined on the Proposals Map. Non-retail uses in these areas can include Class B1 (a) development as small scale business uses can take place without damaging the objective of maintaining a centre's vitality and viability. Such developments often provide cheap accommodation for local enterprises and create employment opportunities for the local workforce. Class A1 target representation will not be applied in the case of tertiary frontages nor will it be necessary for the premises to be open to visiting members of the public. Some commercial property originally built as residential accommodation may be suitable for reinstatement and residential conversion will be encouraged in tertiary frontages, where this would be compatible with adjoining uses and the architectural character of the building. | ||
| TC9 | CONTROL OF CLASS A3, A4 and A5 FOOD AND DRINK USES | ||
| TOWN CENTRES AND DISTRICT CENTRES | |||
| Planning permission will be granted for the construction of new Class A3, A4 and A5 premises or the change of use of existing premises to a Class A3, A4 and A5 use within defined town and district centres provided: | |||
| (i) | the development would not result in indiscriminate customer parking and/or traffic movement that would be likely to create hazards for traffic or pedestrians; | ||
| (ii) | measures are incorporated to mitigate the effect on nearby residential and other properties where a proposal includes the preparation of hot food; | ||
| (iii) | the measures proposed in respect of criterion (ii) are such that the installation does not materially detract from the appearance of the building itself and the locality generally; | ||
| (iv) | the development includes adequate provision for the disposal, storage and collection of refuse, including litter bins for use by customers. | ||
| TC10 | CONTROL OF CLASS A3, A4 and A5 FOOD AND DRINK USES | ||
| LOCAL CENTRES AND OTHER AREAS | |||
| Planning permission will be granted for the construction of new Class A3, A4 and A5 premises or change of use of existing premises to a Class A3, A4 and A5 use within local centres and other areas provided: | |||
| (i) | the development would not result in indiscriminate customer parking and/or traffic movement that would be likely to create hazards for traffic or pedestrians; | ||
| (ii) | measures are incorporated to mitigate the effect on nearby residential and other properties where a proposal includes the preparation of hot food; | ||
| (iii) | the measures proposed in respect of criterion (ii) are such that the installation does not materially detract from the appearance of the building itself and the locality generally; | ||
| (iv) | the measures proposed in respect of criterion (iii) are suitable for the range and nature of hot food to be prepared on the premises; | ||
| (v) | the development includes adequate provision for the disposal, storage and collection of refuse, including litter bins for use by customers; and | ||
| (vi) | the development would not cause unacceptable disturbance to the occupiers of nearby residential property, particularly at times when activity in the immediate vicinity would otherwise be at a relatively quiet level. | ||
| 298. | Food and drink uses, as defined by Class A3, A4 and A5 of the Town and Country Planning (Uses Classes) Order 1987 (as amended by the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes)(Amendment) (England) Order 2005) include all proposals for the sale of food or drink for consumption on the premises or of hot food off the premises, for example, public houses, restaurants, wine bars, cafes, snack bars and hot food take-aways. | ||
| 299. | Proposals for food and drink outlets can create environmental problems such as noise, fumes, smell, litter, traffic generation and inadequate parking. Of particular concern is the effect this can have on residential amenity, particularly when there is a concentration of residential accommodation nearby. It is recognised that the prevailing characteristics of town and district centres and local centres differ significantly. The existing mix of uses (including other Class A3, A4 and A5 uses), the provision of public car parking and late night activity means that an application for a Class A3, A4 and A5 use may be more acceptable in a town or district centre which has a busier, noisier location with a greater level of activity. It is acknowledged however, that even in town and district centres, residents can still expect a certain level of amenity. Applications for Class A3, A4 and A5 uses in town and district centres which will be detrimental to the existing level of amenity by means of increased odour levels, noise and activity, will normally be resisted. | ||
| 300. | In local centres and other areas where the concentration of residential accommodation is higher, it is acknowledged that existing levels of noise and activity are likely to be lower. There is less likely to be a range of public parking facilities. In such locations, applications for a Class A3, A4 and A5 use are to be assessed against a wider set of criteria. Where appropriate, conditions will be attached to permissions for new Class A3, A4 and A5 uses to mitigate any unneighbourly effects of the proposed use. The technical and environmental standards for determining the impact of proposed Class A3, A4 and A5 uses on adjoining or nearby residential property is set out in Supplementary Planning Guidance Control of Class A3 Food and Drink Uses. | ||
| TC11 | UPPER FLOORS - DIVERSITY OF USES | ||
| Planning permission will be granted for Class A2, A3, A4 and A5, B1(a), housing and other service sector uses, including leisure and entertainment, on the upper floors of premises in shopping streets provided: | |||
| (i) | they do not prejudice the satisfactory operational use of the ground floor premises; and | ||
| (ii) | they do not significantly affect the residential amenity of nearby dwelling units. | ||
| 301. | Floorspace above shop units often provides suitable accommodation for small business which require a central area location or for housing accommodation and this is to be encouraged. However, where a use is proposed above an existing ground floor use which is considered to be important to maintaining the centre's vitality and viability, the Council will take into consideration the impact of the proposed use on the existing ground floor occupier. If the proposed use threatens to interfere with the satisfactory continued use of the existing ground floor premises in terms of the occupier's operational or other requirements, the Council will have regard to this when determining the application for the proposed use on the upper floor. | ||
| TC12 | OTHER LOCAL SHOPPING FACILITIES - MAINTENANCE OF SHOPS | ||
| Planning permission will be granted for development, including changes of use of existing local shops provided the development would not result in the loss of a viable Class A1 shop, in current use, which is capable of continuing to serve day-to-day local needs. | |||
| 302. | The maintenance of shops will normally be important where they are generally supported by the resident population living nearby, particularly by those residents who do not have the use of a car. The loss of shops in local centres and parades would restrict the range of shopping opportunities, thereby reducing choice and the benefits arising from competition. | ||
| 303. | In considering applications for a change of use from retail to non-retail purposes for lack of viability or other reason the Council will take into account the value of the existing retail unit in terms of its size, location, servicing arrangements and its suitability in meeting the operational requirements of retail tenants. The Council will also take into consideration the potential benefits that may be derived by the local community from the introduction of a new non-retail use. When considering applications the Council will wish to be satisfied that wherever possible the proposed development would provide a beneficial use to the local community. Applicants will be expected to supply a statement justifying the change proposed including evidence as to the marketing of the premises for retail purposes. | ||
| 304. | Whilst planning policies alone cannot ensure that shops in local centres or parades remain in business, the objective of the policy is to maintain the supply of retail floorspace capable of meeting the day to day shopping requirements of the local community. Some local shops may be suitable for conversion to residential accommodation and this will be encouraged where this would be compatible with adjoining uses and the architectural character of the building. | ||
| TC13 | SHOP PREMISES | ||
| In order to introduce variety and protection from the weather for shoppers in precincted shopping areas, planning permission for the development of premises or developments involving projections to existing premises beyond the building line at first floor level will normally be granted provided: | |||
| (i) | they are compatible with the design of adjoining premises; and | ||
| (ii) | they do not unduly restrict the visual prominence of adjoining shopfronts and fascias. | ||
| 305. | The Council will encourage departures from the established building line at first floor level if, by doing so, it helps to create a more intimate setting, more appropriate to a pedestrian shopping area. Opportunities for these extensions are only likely to arise in Havant and Waterlooville Town Centres where former highways have been closed and the streets converted to pedestrian precincts. | ||
| TC14 | SHOPFRONTS | ||
| Planning permission for new shopfronts or proposals which affect existing shopfronts will be granted provided their design is sympathetic in scale, character and materials to the building and adjoining shopfronts. | |||
| 306. | The design of shopfronts should relate in scale, character and materials to buildings into which they are set. Fascias should be the minimum depth necessary to include the shop name, function and street number. They should relate well in scale, character and materials to the buildings to which they are affixed and to the line and depth of adjoining shopfront fascias, where appropriate. | ||
| TC15 | SECURITY SHUTTERS | ||
| Planning permission for external roller or other security shutters will be granted provided: | |||
| (i) | the use of an internal roller or security shutter is impracticable; and | ||
| (ii) | they are designed in such a way that the external appearance would be as unobtrusive as practicable. | ||
| 307. | The need for a policy for security shutters follows the established trend towards the use of roller shutters on shop frontages. In order to deter vandalism and increase the security of their premises, an increasing number of shopkeepers are installing such shutters. In some cases pressure is placed upon shopkeepers by insurance companies to install shutters to protect their expensive plate or laminated glass windows. However, the use of shutters can also create problems. The loss of window lighting given off into the streets encourages an environment where crime is less easily detected and after hours window shopping will be lost when solid shutters are used. The use of shutters can therefore damage the image of the shop and be detrimental to the street scene. | ||
| 308. | When significant numbers of shops within a shopping centre install shutters there can be a wider visual impact which creates a damaging impression about the character, prosperity and security of the locality. If members of the public keep away from such locations crime is more likely to occur there. Shops closed, with the shutters drawn down, can also have a detrimental impact on the daytime scene outside normal trading hours. There is clearly a need for a balance to be struck between the interests of crime prevention and the impact on the visual environment. The Council has prepared guidelines seeking to ensure roller shutter installations are as unobtrusive as possible, as set out in Supplementary Planning Guidance Security Shutters. | ||
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