Newark & Sherwood District Council
   
Chapter 9.0 - Shopping
 
S1 Newark’s Central Shopping Area
S2 Sequential Approach and Vitality and Viability of Newark’s Central Shopping Area
S3 Retail Warehouses, Supermarkets and Superstores
S4 Non-Retail Uses within the Primary Shopping Frontages
S5 Non-Retail Uses within Market Place and Stodman Street
S6 Retail Floorspace within Primary Shopping Frontages
S7 Shopping Development Within Village Centres
S8 Shopping Development in Rainworth
S9 Shopping Development Outside Village Centres
S10 Shopping Development in Smaller Villages
S11 Non-Retail Uses in Edwinstowe, Ollerton and Southwell Village Centres
S12 Local Shopping Provision in Newark and the Larger Settlements
S13 Local Shopping Provision in Boughton
S14 Shopping Development in the Countryside
S15 Garden Centres
S16 Outdoor Markets
   
   
9.1 This chapter sets out the District Council's policies for shopping within the District. Firstly, the background, problems and issues are considered, the policy context is explained, and the shopping strategy is outlined. Then policies for shopping development are detailed in sections dealing with the Newark urban area, the villages, local shopping provision and the countryside.
   
  Background, Problems and Issues
  Newark
9.2 The role of Newark is influenced, to a significant extent, by its location mid-way between the regional and sub-regional centres of Nottingham and Lincoln, as well as close proximity to centres of similar size, particularly Grantham, and to a lesser extent East Retford and Mansfield. Newark is classified in the Structure Plan Review as a "sub-regional centre".
9.3 Newark is an historic market town, with the majority of its floorspace concentrated within the compact town centre, around the pedestrianised market square. The prime retail pitch is located along the pedestrianised section of Stodman Street, which is the area of highest pedestrian throughput. The town centre serves a particularly important main food and convenience goods shopping function. It has a good range of national multiple retailers and a below average level of retail vacancies.
9.4 Newark serves an extensive catchment area, although its role for comparison and durable goods shopping is limited by the proximity of Nottingham and, to a lesser extent, Lincoln. Together with Balderton, Newark attracts a very significant proportion of available convenience goods expenditure from within a well defined primary catchment area.
9.5 There have been a number of important developments in Newark's Central Area over the last twenty-five years which have increased the town's attractiveness:
 
  • the St Mark's Place Shopping Precinct completed in 1978, provided both convenience and comparison floorspace and a 550 space multi-storey car park;
  • the Bargate Centre provides a supermarket, a range of smaller shop units and a 500 space split level car park;
  • the refurbishment of the Arcade, between the Market Place and Cartergate;
  • the refurbishment of properties in Middlegate; and
  • Newark's Market Hall on Middlegate has been refurbished and redesigned to provide a number of unit shops.
  All these developments have been carefully designed and built to complement the character and qualities of the town centre.
9.6 One of the main issues which the Local Plan tackles is the need to maintain the retail function of the town centre and preserve its vitality and viability. Within the primary shopping frontages of the Central Area, the proliferation of non-retail uses will be resisted. New major retail development should be located to facilitate linked shopping trips, and to act as a catalyst in securing the retention of buildings of architectural interest or the re-use of derelict or degraded land.
   
  The Villages
9.7 The greatest amount and variety of shops in the Western area is to be found in the centre of Ollerton. This centre supplies most of the daily and weekly requirements of the resident population and that of the surrounding area. It also supplies some of the occasional comparison goods requirements of the local people. Much of the Western area lies within the catchment area of Mansfield which acts as a sub-regional centre. Mansfield provides a wide range of facilities for comparison shopping and some weekly purchases.
9.8 The shopping centre in Southwell is a compact area covering King Street, Market Place and the lower end of Queen Street. Its principal role is as a source of convenience goods for the town and surrounding villages, but it also contains a number of specialist shops and services, some of which depend on the attractiveness of Southwell to tourists. The capacity of the shopping centre to expand is physically limited, both by the nature of surrounding development and by the character of the buildings within it, many of which are Listed.
9.9 The centres of the other larger settlements also have a reasonable range of shopping facilities, particularly Edwinstowe and Rainworth, but these primarily serve the daily and weekly requirements of the local population. Edwinstowe also functions as a centre for tourists visiting Sherwood Forest and, therefore, provides an additional range of facilities. The smaller, more rural settlements, have limited facilities generally restricted to a general store/post office, which serves daily needs. In recent years, these facilities have reduced with village shop closures often linked to the loss of sub-post offices. The residents of these villages look to the larger settlements in the area for their daily, weekly and occasional purchases.
9.10 Shopping provision in the villages has tended to locate along the principal roads at the focal point of the transportation network, where access is good. These centres act as the commercial and social heart of the village and are a focus for many community activities. Outside these areas shopping facilities tend to take the form of single units or small groups serving the day-to-day needs of residential areas.
   
  Policy Context for Plan
  Central Government Advice
9.11 PPG6 "Town Centres and Retail Developments" sets out the Government's planning policies for retailing. The Government's objectives are:
 
  • to sustain and enhance the vitality and viability of town centres;
  • to focus development, especially retail development, in locations where the proximity of businesses facilitates competition from which all consumers are able to benefit and maximises the opportunity to use means of transport other than the car;
  • to maintain an efficient, competitive and innovative retail sector; and
  • to ensure the availability of a wide range of shops, employment, services and facilities to which people have easy access by a choice of means of transport.
9.12 In particular the guidance:
 
  • emphasises the sequential approach to selecting sites for development, for retail, commercial, leisure and other key town centre uses;
  • promotes town centre management as a means of enhancing vitality and viability;
  • emphasises the plan-led approach to promoting development in town centres; and
  • clarifies the three key tests for assessing retail developments.
  This guidance has been taken into account in the preparation of the Plan.
   
  Regional Planning Guidance for the East Midlands
9.13 RPG8 states that wherever possible, planning authorities should facilitate the provision of new retail development in existing town centres. Out-of-centre developments may be acceptable, but only where the scope for in-centre development is very limited. In the case of small market towns, planning authorities should allocate sites in local plans which will enable new food stores to locate in, or at the edge of, the town centres in order to maintain their continuing viability and vitality.
   
  Nottinghamshire Structure Plan Review
9.14 The Local Plan's policies for shopping conform with those of the Structure Plan Review. The Structure Plan Review recognises the importance of protecting and enhancing the role of established centres for shopping and other services. Policy 6/1 provides for the appropriate expansion of retail and other central area facilities within or on suitable edge-of-centre sites in the central area of Newark.
9.15 Major retail development may be acceptable in out-of-centre locations provided suitable sites are not available within or on the edge of existing town centres, it would not on its own or cumulatively with other retail proposals undermine the vitality and viability of nearby town centres, and it would not adversely affect overall travel and car use.
   
  Objectives
9.16 The aims of the Local Plan will be achieved through the implementation of the following objectives:
 
  • to safeguard the vitality and viability of existing shopping centres;
  • to avoid the encroachment of non-retail uses within primary shopping frontages;
  • to ensure that shopping facilities are provided in new housing areas; and
  • to encourage the provision/or retention of village shops.
  Shopping Development in Newark
9.17 Newark town centre is the heart of a historic town of national importance and the core of a Conservation Area of outstanding quality. Retailing represents the principal function of the town centre. It is essential that the town centre remains commercially attractive, so that money is invested to maintain its historic fabric and to keep its buildings fully occupied. The District Council will therefore encourage development which enhances the attractiveness of the town centre to visitors and shoppers, and resist development which would damage its vitality and viability.
9.18 Effective management and promotion of town centres will help to enhance their vitality and viability. Many factors affecting the quality of a town centre lie outside the planning system. Government advice, contained within PPG6, advocates the preparation of town centre strategies drawn up within the broad framework provided by local plans. The District Council, in association with other bodies that have an interest in the town centre, has prepared a Newark Town Centre Strategy.
9.19 The influence of Newark's town centre extends over a wide area. The limits of its shopping catchment area are defined by the influence of competing centres and are subject to some variation depending on the nature of the goods purchased. A shopping study, commissioned by the District Council in 1994, defined the primary catchment area for Newark. Based on 1991 population figures Newark town centre had catchment areas of 37,420 for convenience goods, 22,380 for comparison goods and 32,480 for bulky durable goods.
 
Policy S1
Newark's Central Shopping Area
Planning permission will be granted for retail development which enhances the role of Newark's Central Shopping Area, defined on the Proposals Map.
   
  Justification
9.20 Newark's Central Shopping Area is bounded to the north-west and south-west by the B6166 (Northgate, Castle Gate and Lombard Street). The eastern side is defined by a boundary which passes along Queens Road, Kings Road, the Mount footpath, Appleton Gate, the rear of the properties on the northern side of Barnby Gate, Guildhall Street, London Road Car Park and London Road.
9.21 The Market Place continues to form the hub of this area. Properties along the southern side of the Market Place and the eastern section of Stodman Street generally command the prime trading locations, although Cartergate, Middlegate, Kirkgate and St. Mark's Place, together with some of the other links into the Market Place, including Bridge Street and the Arcade, are also important shopping streets. In order to maintain the town centre's vitality and viability, the District Council will encourage retail development within the Central Shopping Area.
 
Policy S2
The Sequential Approach and Vitality and Viability of Newark's Central Shopping Area
Planning permission will be granted for retail development on edge-of-centre sites, provided there are no suitable sites available within the Central Shopping Area and the proposed development would enhance the role of the Central Shopping Area.
Planning permission for major retail development on other sites within the built-up area of Newark and Balderton will be granted only where there is no suitable town centre or edge-of-centre site and the proposal would not, on its own or in combination with other committed development, undermine the vitality and viability of the town centre as a whole.
Where appropriate, planning permission will include conditions to ensure that future changes do not create a development that would have been refused initially on the grounds of impact on the vitality and viability of the town centre.
   
  Justification
9.22 Where there are no suitable sites available within the Central Shopping Area, consideration will be given to edge-of-centre sites. 'Edge-of-centre' is defined as 'a location within easy walking distance of the centre, often providing parking facilities that serve the centre as well as the store, thus enabling one trip to serve several purposes'. In accordance with the Structure Plan Review, 'major retail development' is defined as, 'development exceeding 1,000 square metres gross floorspace'. The suitability of edge-of-centre sites will depend on the length and nature of the route into the town centre. Routes should be attractive and free of barriers to pedestrians, such as major roads, and should be functionally linked to the centre, for example by shopping frontages. It is important that a close linkage is created between edge-of-centre sites and the town centre. In this way shoppers will be encouraged to use the centre as part of a linked trip, thereby helping to maintain its vitality and viability.
9.23 In assessing new retail developments, the District Council will take account of the likely impact of the proposal on the vitality and viability of the town centre as a whole. PPG6 identifies a number of factors which should be taken into consideration in determining whether a new development would undermine the town centre. These factors include: changes to the range of services that will be provided; likely increases in the number of vacant properties; changes to the physical condition, quality, attractiveness, and the character of the centre, and its role in the economic and social life of the community; likely effect on future private sector investment; and extent to which developments would put at risk the strategy for the town centre. PPG6 advises that account should be taken of the anticipated cumulative effects of recently completed developments and outstanding planning permissions, in addition to the likely impact of the proposed development.
9.24 Newark town centre contains a large number of buildings of architectural or historic interest and forms the core of a Conservation Area of outstanding quality. A sound economic base for the town centre is essential if its character is to be preserved and enhanced. To achieve this, it is vital for the centre to remain commercially attractive, and for it to continue to draw in the investment necessary to maintain its architectural and historic fabric. It is therefore particularly important that no development should be allowed which would seriously impair its vitality and viability.
9.25 In the case of major retail developments, applicants will normally be required to submit impact assessments. They should include evidence on the applicant's approach to site selection and the availability of alternative sites; the development's likely economic and other impacts on other retail locations; the site's accessibility by a choice of means of transport; the likely changes in travel patterns over the catchment area; and where appropriate, any significant environmental impacts.
9.26 PPG6 recognises that out-of-centre retail developments can change their composition over time. Such changes may lead to the creation of a development which undermines the vitality and viability of the town centre. The District Council will, where appropriate, apply conditions to new developments to ensure that they do not change their character over time. Such conditions might include limiting the range of type of goods sold or preventing the development from being sub-divided into a large number of smaller shops.
 

Policy S3
Retail Warehouses, Supermarkets and Superstores

Subject to Policy S2, planning permission will be granted for superstores, supermarkets or retail warehouses where:
1. The site is accessible by a choice of means of transport, both public and private;
2. The proposal would not be likely to add significantly to the overall number and length of car trips;
3. The site has good access to the main road system; and
4. The site is of sufficient size to satisfy car parking and servicing requirements.
In determining applications, the District Council will have regard to opportunities for retail development to make use of derelict or under-used land or to secure the retention in effective use of buildings of architectural interest.
   
  Justification
9.27 In accordance with Policy S2, new retail warehouse, supermarket or superstore development should be located within or on the edge of the Central Shopping Area. However, where no such sites are available, planning permission may be granted on out-of-centre sites provided it would not undermine the vitality and viability of the town centre or add significantly to the overall number and length of car trips. In cases where an out-of-centre location is acceptable, retail development should, where possible, make use of derelict or under-used land or secure the retention in effective use of buildings of architectural interest. Sites should have good access to the main road network, be accessible by a choice of means of transport and have sufficient land for parking and servicing. There is currently a shortage of genuinely available serviced industrial land in Newark. Consequently, the loss of industrial land to retail use would be undesirable (see Policy E16).
 
Policy S4
Non-retail uses within the Primary Shopping Frontages
Planning permission will not be granted for non-retail uses within the primary shopping frontages of Newark's Central Shopping Area, as defined on the Proposals Map.
Exceptions to this policy may be made where it can be shown that the introduction of a non-retail use:
1. Is the only means of restoring or improving a building of historic or architectural merit; or
2. Would make a positive contribution to the vitality of the town centre and would not have a harmful impact on the shopping frontage.
   
  Justification
9.28 Non-retail uses, particularly service uses, are essential to a healthy town centre. However, if such uses are allowed to locate and predominate in main shopping streets the attractiveness of those streets to shoppers may be reduced.
9.29 The District Council considers that non-retail uses should generally be resisted in the Primary Shopping Area. The Primary Shopping Area is defined on the Town Centre Inset Map and includes the Market Place, Middlegate, Bridge Street, the Arcade, St. Mark's Place, Cartergate, 12/20 and 19/29 Kirkgate, 12/19 and 23/37a Stodman Street, Paxton's Court and parts of Slaughterhouse Lane.
9.30 In exceptional circumstances, a non-retail use may be acceptable if it is appropriate to a shopping area and would either help to restore a building of outstanding character or add to the vitality of the centre as a whole.
 
Policy S5
Non-retail uses within the Market Place and Stodman Street
Planning permission will not be granted for development which would result in the loss of retail floorspace at ground level within the Market Place and the eastern half of Stodman Street (12/19 and 23/37a Stodman Street), Newark.
   
  Justification
9.31 In the Market Place and in the eastern half of Stodman Street, where the proportion of non-retail uses is already very high, the further loss of retail floorspace will be resisted without exception.
 
Policy S6
Retail Floorspace within Primary Shopping Frontages
Planning permission will be granted for the reintroduction of retail floorspace within the primary shopping frontages of Newark's Central Shopping Area.
   
  Justification
9.32 In order to ensure that the town centre remains attractive to shoppers, the District Council will encourage the reintroduction of retail floorspace within the Primary Shopping Area.
   
  Shopping Development in the Villages
9.33 Retailing in villages has an important role to play in sustaining the rural economy and maintaining the vitality and viability of existing centres. Encouraging retail development in local communities will minimise the need to travel to other centres and thereby reduce the environmental impact of private motor vehicles.
 
Policy S7
Shopping Development within Village Centres
Planning permission will be granted for retail development within village centres provided that:
1. The scale of the proposed development is appropriate to the size of the settlement;
2. Parking facilities can be provided or there is adequate provision in the immediate vicinity; and
3. The proposal would not cause traffic problems.
Proposals for sites adjoining village centres will be considered, if there are no suitable village centre sites, and will be assessed against the above criteria. Development on out-of-centre sites will be considered only if there are no village centre or edge-of-centre sites and if the proposal would not undermine the vitality and viability of the existing village centre.
   
  Justification
9.34 The District Council considers it important to ensure that people have convenient access to a wide choice of goods and services. Villages which have a definable centre currently provide these facilities. These centres are well located on the transport network and, as a consequence, are accessible to all sectors of the community, particularly the less mobile. The primary function of these centres is shopping but they often provide other business, social, cultural, medical, civic and recreational services and facilities. Shopping trips to these centres can therefore be combined with visits to other services. The Authority recognises the importance of village centres in the economic and social life of the community. In order to ensure that they continue to fulfil this role the District Council wishes to encourage new shopping development within these centres. Where there are no suitable village centre sites available, consideration will be given to edge-of-centre sites. Development on out-of-centre sites will be considered only if there are no village centre or edge-of centre sites and if the proposal would not undermine the vitality and viability of the existing village centre.
9.35 The District Council will support proposals for new shopping development within village centres. There is potential for additional comparison floorspace in village centres which would enhance the range and quality of retail facilities available.
9.36 New shopping development within village centres is likely to involve the improvement and extension of the existing shops as well as the change of use of existing buildings to shopping. Schemes which extend the range and quality of shopping will be encouraged, provided they are of an appropriate scale for the size of the settlement. However, proposals should not adversely affect the amenities of neighbouring residents and should include car parking where there is inadequate provision in the immediate vicinity. The new buildings or alterations should be implemented to high standards of design, particularly in Southwell where the central area forms part of a Conservation Area.
 
Policy S8
Shopping Development in Rainworth
Planning permission will be granted for the removal of the disused railway embankment and the redevelopment of the site, defined on the Proposals Map, provided:
1. The development increases the range and quality of retail facilities in the area;
2. The scheme secures improved access for the shopping area and car park;
3. There is no adverse effect on the amenities of nearby residents;
4. The exposed end of the embankment is landscaped and graded; and
5. Rainworth Water is improved to overcome existing drainage problems.
   
  Justification
9.37 The existing village centre of Rainworth provides a reasonable range of facilities for the residents of the village, including two small supermarkets. The District Council considers that modest expansion of the shopping area could increase the range and quality of facilities available for the benefit of local residents. However, apart from the existing railway embankment there is no land available for development.
9.38 The disused railway embankment forms an effective barrier between the residential premises on Churchfield Drive and the proposed employment allocation on Colliery Lane (see Policy E13). However, this screening is not as important for the existing commercial premises fronting Southwell Road West. In addition, there are also drainage problems on this section of Rainworth Water which cannot be resolved without substantial engineering works. The District Council will therefore permit the removal of part of the embankment to allow resolution of the drainage problems and expansion of the shopping area subject to environmental safeguards.
 

Policy S9
Shopping Development Outside Village Centres

Planning permission will be granted for supermarkets on out-of-centre sites if:
1. There are no suitable village centre or edge-of-centre sites;
2. The development on its own, or in combination with other committed development, would not undermine the vitality and viability of the existing or any nearby village centre;
3. The site is accessible by a choice of means of transport, both public and private;
4. The proposal would not be likely to add significantly to the number and length of car trips;
5. The site has good access to the main road system; and
6. The site is of sufficient size to satisfy car parking and servicing requirements.
In determining applications, the Council will have regard to opportunities for retail development to make use of derelict or under-used land within the village concerned.
   
  Justification
9.39 The maintenance of the vitality and viability of existing village centres is important to the District Council. Large-scale development outside village centres could lead to a significant increase in vacant property with a marked reduction in the range of services the centres provide. Development of this form may also result in the general physical deterioration of the centres to the detriment of their future place in the economic and social life of the community. The Authority will, therefore, resist proposals for most forms of large-scale retailing outside existing village centres.
9.40 The District Council considers that shopping development should normally be concentrated in or on the edge of village centres. However, it is accepted that, where no suitable sites are available, supermarkets may be located outside these centres provided the development would not undermine the vitality and viability of the existing or any nearby village centre or add significantly to the number and length of car trips. Sites should have good access to the main road system, sufficient land for parking and servicing, and be accessible by a choice of means of transport, both public and private. In accordance with PPG6, supermarkets are defined as single level, self-service stores selling mainly food, with a gross trading floorspace of between about 500 and 2500 square metres, often with their own car parks.
9.41 In October 1996 an Inquiry was held into two proposals for supermarket development at Upton Road and Halam Road, Southwell. In determining the appeals the Secretary of State for the Environment agreed with the Inspector's conclusions that "either scheme would cause irreparable harm to the function and character of the centre." He therefore refused the Upton Road application and dismissed the appeal at Halam Road.
 
Policy S10
Shopping Development in Smaller Villages
Planning permission will be granted for small-scale retail development in villages provided it would not create environmental or traffic problems.
   
  Justification
9.42 In the more rural villages, shopping provision is generally inadequate. These villages often have the additional burden of poor access to the shops in the nearby large settlements. The viability of village shops in small communities is progressively being threatened by economic pressures and increased mobility. However, the village shop is an important asset to the local community, particularly for those reliant on public transport. Proposals for small-scale retail development catering for local needs will therefore normally be encouraged.
 
Policy S11
Non-Retail Uses in Edwinstowe, Ollerton and Southwell Village Centres
Planning permission will not normally be granted for non-retail uses, at ground floor level, within the primary shopping frontages of the village centres of Edwinstowe, Ollerton and Southwell, defined on the Proposals Map.
Exceptions may be made where it can be shown that the introduction of a non-retail use:
1. Is the only means of restoring or improving a building of historic or architectural merit; or
2. Would make a positive contribution to the vitality of the village centre and would not have a harmful impact on the shopping frontage.
   
  Justification
9.43 Non-retail uses, particularly business activities which provide a service, are essential to a healthy village centre. However, the District Council is concerned at the extent to which the growth of non-retail uses, at ground floor level, in the village centres of Edwinstowe, Ollerton and Southwell could affect their character and reduce their attractiveness and convenience to shoppers. In Edwinstowe, the main concern is the development of a number of tourist related uses, such as restaurants, which are reducing the shopping facilities available to local people. In Ollerton, the increase of uses, such as building societies, betting offices and restaurants, is reducing the range of comparison stores available to local people and thereby lessening the attractiveness of the centre for shopping. In Southwell, the capacity of the shopping centre to expand is physically limited, and therefore the loss of retail premises would weaken its role as a focus for shopping activity.
9.44 The Authority considers that non-retail uses should generally be resisted in the primary shopping frontages of Edwinstowe, Ollerton and Southwell. These frontages have been defined on the Proposals Map. In exceptional circumstances a non-retail use may be acceptable, if it is appropriate to a shopping area and would add to the vitality of the centre as a whole, or help to restore a building of character.
  Where a non-retail use is accepted, it should be sited so as to minimize the effect on the shopping frontage and should not be grouped with other such uses, so avoiding "dead frontages".
   
  Local Shopping Provision
9.45 The District Council wishes to facilitate a range of local facilities meeting the day-to-day needs of the local population. The following policies outline where development will be permitted.
 
Policy S12 - Local Shopping Provision in Newark and the Larger Settlements
Planning permission will be granted for development to serve local shopping needs, provided it would be in keeping with the scale and location of existing provision in the vicinity and would be accessible to the local residents by public transport, by cycle or on foot.
   
  Justification
9.46 Some housing areas in the Newark urban area and in the larger settlements are poorly served with local shops providing for the everyday needs of the residents. These shops fulfil an important role and, therefore, proposals for the development of new local small-scale shopping facilities will normally be permitted, where there is an existing under provision. However, the shops should be sited so as to minimise environmental and traffic problems, and should be accessible to local residents by public transport, by cycle or on foot.
 
Policy S13
Local Shopping Provision in Boughton
Planning permission will be granted for small-scale local retail development at Hallam Road, Boughton.
   
  Justification
9.47 The District Council has allocated a site for a small-scale shopping development at Hallam Road, Boughton. This development will serve the day-to-day needs of the local residents and comprise a group of two or three small shops. The Authority consider that this development is required because of the current inadequate provision for local shopping in the vicinity and the distance of the residential area from the Ollerton village centre.
   
  The Countryside
9.48 Shopping facilities are to be encouraged in Newark and the villages where they are accessible to the local population. Building in the open countryside away from settlements is to be strictly controlled. The following policies provide guidance on where development will be permitted.
 
Policy S14
Shopping Development in the Countryside
Planning permission will not be granted for retail development in the countryside.
Exceptions may be made for small-scale outlets ancillary to and within the curtilage of farms, rural businesses and tourist or recreation facilities. Preference will be given to proposals for the re-use or adaptation of existing buildings.
   
  Justification
9.49 In the countryside, planning permission will not normally be granted for shopping development. The District Council considers that new shopping development should be located in the existing centres where it is accessible to the majority of the local population. The construction of shopping facilities outside the main built-up areas, particularly large-scale development, could have an adverse impact on the environment, character and amenities of rural areas and could create problems on the road network. This policy is in accordance with the Government advice in PPG6 and Policies 6/5 and 3/1 of the Structure Plan Review.
9.50 Small-scale retail development directly associated with activities appropriate to the countryside, such as tourist or recreational uses, rural businesses, and farm shops may exceptionally be permitted. Government advice in PPG7 "The Countryside - Environmental Quality and Economic and Social Development" suggests that this form of development can help to diversify the rural economy. However, the scale of retailing should be limited and ancillary to the main use of the site. In the case of farm shops the nature of the use will be controlled by restricting the goods to be sold to fruit, vegetables and other agricultural and horticultural produce only - with some of the produce originating on the site.
 
Policy S15 - Garden Centres
Planning permission will normally be granted for garden centres:
1. Within or on the edge of an existing settlement; or
2. In the countryside, where they are predominantly for the sale of plants or produce grown adjacent or close to the retail outlet;
provided that the proposal:
1. Would not have an adverse impact on the landscape;
2. Would not create traffic problems;
3. Would not have an adverse impact on the character and appearance of the surrounding area; and
4. Would not adversely affect the amenities of residents.
   
  Justification
9.51 Some garden centres sell almost exclusively goods which can be purchased in town centre or other shops. To allow these outlets outside of existing settlements would encourage unnecessary journeys by private car and may adversely affect the vitality and viability of neighbouring centres.
9.52 Where a substantial part of the site is required for the growing, propagation and display of plants then a more rural location may be justified. However, the Authority is concerned about the proliferation of non-horticultural uses which can change the kind and intensity of activity carried out at garden centres. These include children's play parks and can give rise to problems of traffic generation and visual intrusion. As a consequence, garden centres will only be permitted outside built-up areas where the proposals are for the sale of plants or produce grown adjacent or close to the retail outlet.
 
Policy S16
Outdoor Markets
Planning permission will not be granted for outdoor markets in the countryside. Exceptions may be made where:
1. The development would not intrude into the openness of the countryside;
2. The scheme does not adversely affect the ecology or environment of the Sherwood Forest Heritage Area;
3. The proposal does not detract from the landscape qualities of the area or adversely affect features of topographical, ecological or archaeological importance;
4. The amenities of residents are not adversely affected; and
5. The proposal creates no traffic problems.
   
  Justification
9.53 In recent years, the District Council has experienced problems with the indiscriminate holding of outdoor markets. It is clear to the Authority that there is considerable commercial attraction for such operations. They are often seen as recreational rather than shopping activities providing a leisure attraction, particularly on Sundays. However, the operation of these markets has resulted in strong complaints from the Police Authority, Highway Authority and local residents. The grounds of these objections have been traffic generation, localised highway congestion, and injury to visual amenity on the site and in the locality, by the erection of advanced signs and the overall condition of the site following the holding of the market.
9.54 No planning permission is needed to hold a market for up to 14 days per year by virtue of the Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1988. In an effort to reduce the impact of this general consent, the Council has withdrawn the permitted development rights, through an Article 4 Direction, on six sites most frequently used for outdoor markets. The Authority will generally resist this form of development because of the adverse impact these markets have on the appearance of the countryside and the serious effect they have on the enjoyment of residents living and travelling in the locality. This policy is in accordance with Policy 6/5 of the Structure Plan Review.
9.55 However, the Council accepts that there may be sites which could be used for outdoor markets without causing particular problems. In considering proposals, the Authority will take into account the impact of the development on nearby residents, the effect on the character of the countryside and the likely traffic generation. In particular, the Authority will exercise control over the intensity of the use, access arrangements, site condition, screening, stall layout and car parking.
 
 
 
Newark & Sherwood District Council
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